We are happy to offer some special notes on all of the songs on the LIVE CD. Some of the text will be identical to that found on the CD, while there are special comments and further information added--and, of course, lyrics so that you can sing along!. We hope you will enjoy this companion to your CD purchase.
liner notes
No less a favorite is Finnegan's Wake, the classic music hall song that was originally written to poke fun at the Irish. Henry has some real fun with sound effects during the song; don't be caught clapping after we finish the chorus!
The song is the basis of James Joyce's major work by the
same name, and thus is probably as close as the band
ever gets to good literature in our performances.
Finnegan's Wake
Tim Finnegan lived in Walkin Street,
A gentle Irishman, mighty odd!
He'd a beatiful brogue so rich and sweet,
And to rise in the world he carried a hod.
You see he'd a sort of a tipplin' way;
With a love for the liquor poor tim was born.
And to help him on with his work each day,
He'd a drop of the crathur every morn
Whack fol the da, now,
dance with your partner!
Welt the floor, your trotter's shake!
Wasn't it the truth I told you?
Lot's of fun at Finnegan's Wake!
One morning tim felt rather full,
His head was heavy which made him shake.
He fell from the ladder and he broke his skull;
And they carried him home his corpse to wake.
They rolled him up in a nice clean sheet and
Layed him out upon the bed,
With a bottle of whiskey at his feet
And a barrel of Porter at his head!
His friends assembled at the wake,
And Mrs. Finnegan called for lunch. LUNCH!
First she brought in tea and cake,
Then pipes, tobacco and whiskey punch
Biddie O'Brien began to cry, (cry, wail)
“Such a nice clean corpse did you ever see?
Tim, mavoreen, why did ye die?”
Arrah, hold your gob says Paddy McGee!
Then Maggie O'Connell took up the job,
“Oh, Biddy, says she, you're wrong I'm sure!”
Biddy gave her a belt in the gob
And she left her sprawling on the floor.
Then the war did soon engage;
T’was woman to woman and man to man.
Shillelagh law was all the rage;
And a row and a ‘ruction soon began.
Mickey Maloney raised his head
When a bucket of whiskey flew at him
It missed him, spillin' all on the bed
And the whiskey scattered over tim
Tim mavoreen see how he rises
Timothy rising from the bed
Saying, whirl your whiskey around like blazes
Set up here, or do think I'm dead.
