Finnigan's Wake

Finnigan’s Wake

Words by James Joyce/ Music - Traditional

Tim Finnegan lived in Wattling Street      A gentle Irishman mighty odd

He'd seen a brogue so soft and sweet     To the rise in the world he carried the hod

Tim had a  sort of a tipplin’ way     With love for a liquor – no - he was born

To help him on with his work each day     He'd a drop of the Cray-chur every morn'

Whack Fol-De-Dah-Do   dance to your partner   Welt the floor, your trotters shake 

Wasn't it the truth I told you    Lots of fun at Finnegan's wake

One morning Tim was rather full      His head felt heavy, which made him shake

Fell from the ladder and burst his skull       So they carried him home, his corpse to wake

Rolled him up in a nice clean sheet     Laid him out upon the bed

A gallon of whiskey at his feet     And a barrel of porter at his head

Whack Fol-De-Dah-Do   dance to your partner   Welt the floor, your trotters shake 

Wasn't it the truth I told you    Lots of fun at Finnegan's wake

(solo – Am  -  G)

His friends assembled at the wake   And Missus Finnegan called for lunch

First they brought in tay and cake   Then pipes, tobacco and whiskey punch

Biddy O'Brien began to cry    Such a nice clean corpse did you ever see

Tim avournin’ why did you die?   Ah shut your gob said Paddy MCGee

Whack Fol-De-Dah-Do   dance to your partner   Welt the floor, your trotters shake 

Wasn't it the truth I told you    Lots of fun at Finnegan's wake

Patty O'Connor took up the job    Biddy says she you're wrong I'm sure

Biddy then gave her a belt on the gob    And left her sprawling on the floor

Then the war did soon engage    Woman to woman and man to man

Shillelah-law was all the rage And a row and a ruction soon began

Mickey Maloney lowered his head    And a bottle Of whiskey flew at him

It missed him falling on the bed      The liquor scattered over Tim

Tim revives, see how he risein’    Timothy rising from the bed  

Sayin’ whirl your whiskey around like blazes   Thunderin’ Jaysus, do you think I'm dead

Whack Fol-De-Dah-Do   dance to your partner   Welt the floor, your trotters shake 

Wasn't it the truth I told you    Lots of fun at Finnegan's wake

Repeat Chorus and solo out…

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All vocals and instrumentals performed by Crag Jensen

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