IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD, EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND SIX
WE SET SAIL FROM THE COLD QUAY OF CORK
WE WERE SAILING AWAY WITH A CARGO OF BRICKS
FOR THE GRAND CITY HALL IN NEW YORK
T'WAS AN ELEGANT CRAFT, IT WAS RIGGED FORE AND AFT
AND OH HOW THE WILD WINDS DROVE HER
SHE HAD TWENTY FOUR MASTS, AND SHE STOOD SEVERAL BLASTS
AND THEY CALLED HER THE IRISH ROVER
WE HAD ONE MILLION BAGS OF THE BEST SLIGO RAGS
WE HAD TWO MILLION BARRELS OF STONE
WE HAD THREE MILLION BALES OF OLD NANNY GOAT TAILS
WE HAD FOUR MILLION BARRELS OF BONE
WE HAD FIVE MILLION HALFS AND SIX MILLION DOVES
AND SEVEN MILLION BARRELS OF PORTER
WE HAD EIGHT MILLION HIDES OF OLD BLIND HORSES SIDES
IN THE HOLD OF THE IRISH ROVER
WE HAD BARNEY McGEE FROM THE BANKS OF THE LEE
WE HAD HOGAN FROM COUNTY TYRONE
AND YOUR MAN MICK McGUIRK WHO WAS SCARED STIFF OF WORK
AND YOUR MAN FROM WESTMEATH NAMED MALONE
THERE WAS SLUGGER O'TOOLE WHO WAS DRUNK AS A RULE
AND FIGHTING BILL TRACY FROM DOVER
AND YOUR MAN MICK McCANN FROM THE BANKS OF THE BAHN
WAS THE SKIPPER OF THE IRISH ROVER
WE HAD SAILED SEVERAL YEARS WHEN THE MEASLES BROKE OUT
AND THE SHIP LOST HER WAY IN THE FOG
AND THE WHALE OF THE CREW WAS REDUCED DOWN TO TWO
WAS MYSELF AND THE CAPTAINS OLD DOG
THEN THE SHIP STRUCK A ROCK
LORDY WHAT A SHOCK
AND NEARLY TUMBLED OVER
TURNED NINE TIMES AROUND
AND THE POOR OLD DOG WAS DROWNED
I'M THE LAST OF THE IRISH ROVER