Timothy Murphy kept the pledge
For nearly fourteen year
But Christmas even' he felt so bad
He got out on the beer;
Oh, he came home like a roaring lion
Filled up with rum and gin
For he's like a Bengal tiger
When he gets a mouthful in
There's not a porch for half a mile
That came in Murphy's sight
But felt his hob-nailed bluchers
When he let out that night;
And sashes tumbled 'round the floor
And cats at doors did scrape
For they knew their time on earth was short
When Timothy rounds the cape
He broke lamps and cups and crockeryware
The pots and soup tureens
He ate everything that was in the house
Pigs' heads and boiled crubeens;
Now there's not a sound eye in the block
From Murphy's heavy sledge
And the town is all on crutches now
Since Murphy broke the pledge
If Murphy don't get thirty days
And I hope and pray he will
There'll be humps on undertaker's back
From all the crowds he'll kill;
And the beaver hats, they won't hold out
To bury all the dead
If Timothy ties his braces 'round
To paint the city red
He broke lamps and cups and crockeryware
The pots and soup tureens
He ate everything that was in the house
Pigs' heads and boiled curbeens;
Now there's not a sound eye in the block
From Murphy's heavy sledge
And the town is all on crutches now
Since Murphy broke the pledge
The neighbourhood is on their knees
In meditation deep
In hope he'll get the summer
Through the iron bars to peep;
For if not, we'll go to Nagle's Hill
And leave our snug abode
For I'd sooner face a unicorn
Than Murphy with a load
He broke lamps and cups and crockeryware
The pots and soup tureens
He ate everything that was in the house
Pigs' heads and boiled crubeens;
Now there's not a sound eye in the block
From Murphy's heavy sledge
And the town is all on crutches now
Since Murphy broke the pledge