Lyrics and Chords

Finnegan’s Wake lyrics – riotous and glorious

The lyrics to Finnegan’s Wake are brilliant in the way they convey so much so quickly.

Finnegan’s Wake
Lyrics and Chords print version

There’s a very strong story of death and resurrection, lots of humour and zest for life, fun and fighting, and then an unexpected twist at the end.

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The twist is not just that Finnegan comes back from the dead.

It’s also the fact that although it’s the whiskey that revives him, he’s appalled that it should be thrown around and wasted in such a cavalier fashion.

The lyrics convey all this in just five riotous verses.

Lyrics to Finnegan’s Wake

C 

Tim Finnegan lived in  

Am 

Walken 

 

Street

 

A  

F 

gentleman Irish,  

G7 

mighty 

 

odd

 

He  

C 

had a brogue both  

Am 

rich and sweet

 

And to  

F 

rise in the world he  

G7 

carried 

 

 

C 

a 

 

hod

 

You see he’d a sort of a  

Am 

tipplin’ 

 

way

 

With a  

C 

love for the liquor  

Am 

he was born

 

And to  

C 

send him on his  

Am 

way each day,

 

He’d a  

F 

drop of the craythur every  

C 

morn’.

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Chorus

 

C 

Whack fol’ the dah will ya  

Am 

dance to your partner

F 

Round the floor your  

G 

trotters 

 

shake

C 

Isn’t it the  

Am 

truth I told ya?

F 

Lots of fun at  

G7 

Finnegan’s 

 

 

C 

wake

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One morning Tim was rather full,

His head felt heavy which made him shake.

He fell off the ladder and he broke his skull

And they carried him home, his corpse to wake.

Rolled him up in a nice, clean sheet

Laid him out upon the bed.

With a bottle of whiskey at his feet

And a barrel of porter at his head.

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Chorus

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Well his friends assembled at the wake

And Mrs. Finnegan called for brunch.

Well, first she brought them tea and cake,

Then pipes, tobacco, and whiskey punch.

Then the Widow Malone began to cry,

“Such a nice clean corpse did you ever see?”

” Tim, auvreen! Why did you die?”

“Will you hold yer gob?” says Molly McGee’.

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Chorus

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Well, Mary Murphy took up the job

“Oh Biddy,” says she, “you’re wrong, I’m sure.”

Well Biddy fetched her a belt in the gob

And left her sprawling on the floor

Then the war did then engage

‘Twas woman to woman and man to man

Shillelagh law was all the rage

And a row and a ruction soon began.

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Chorus

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Well Mickey Maloney ducked his head

When a bottle of whiskey flew at him

It missed, and landing on the bed

The whiskey scattered over Tim

Bedad revives, see how he rises!

Timothy risin’ from the bed!

Sayin’ “Throwin’ your whiskey around like blazes,”

“Thundering jaysus do ye think I’m dead?”

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Chorus

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The Parting Glass
Lyrics and Chords print version