When first I came to London
In the year of 39
The city looked so wonderful,
And the girls were so divine
But the coppers got suspicious,
And they soon gave me the knock
I was charged with being the owner
Of an old alarm clock
Well, next morning down by Marlborough Street,
I caused no little stir
The I.R.A were busy
And a telephone did burr
Says the judge I'm going to charge you,
With the possession of this machine.
And I'm also going to charge you,
With the wearing of the Green
Well, says I to him, your honour,
If you give me half a chance
I'll show you how me small machine
Can make the peelers dance
Well, it ticks away politely,
'Til you get an awful shock
And it ticks away the gelignite,
On me old alarm clock
O the judge says listen here my man
And I'll tell you of our plan
For you and all your countrymen
I do not give a damn
Well, the only time you'll take is mine,
Ten years in Dartmoor dock
And you can count it by the ticking,
Of your old alarm clock.
Now, this lonely Dartmoor City
Would put many in the jigs
The cell it isn't pretty
And it isn't very big
Sure long ago I'd have left the place,
If I had only got,
Ah! me couple of sticks of gelignite
And me old alarm clock