ON THE FOURTH OF JULY
EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND SIX
WE SET SAIL FROM THE
SWEET COVE OF CORK
WE WERE SAILING AWAY
WITH A CARGO OF BRICKS
FOR THE GRAND CITY HALL
IN NEW YORK
'TWAS A WONDERFUL CRAFT
SHE WAS RIGGED FORE AND AFT
AND OH, HOW THE
WILD WIND DROVE HER
SHE STOOD SEVERAL BLASTS
SHE HAD TWENTY-SEVEN MASTS
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 SIDES
OF OLD BLIND HORSES' HIDES
WE HAD FOUR MILLION
BARRELS OF BONES
WE HAD FIVE MILLION HOGS
SIX MILLION DOGS
SEVEN MILLION
BARRELS OF PORTER
WE HAD EIGHT MILLION BAILS
OF OLD NANNY-GOATS' TAILS
IN THE HOLD
OF THE IRISH ROVER
THERE WAS OLD MICKEY COOTE
WHO PLAYED HARD ON HIS FLUTE
WHEN THE LADIES
LINED UP FOR A SET
HE WAS TOOTIN' WITH SKILL
FOR EACH SPARKLIN' QUADRILLE
THOUGH THE DANCERS
WERE FLUTHER'D AND BET
WITH HIS SMART WITTY TALK
HE WAS COCK OF THE WALK
AND HE ROLLED THE DAMES
UNDER AND OVER
THEY ALL KNEW AT A GLANCE
WHEN HE TOOK UP HIS STANCE
THAT HE SAILED
IN THE IRISH ROVER
THERE WAS BARNEY McGEE
FROM THE BANKS OF THE LEE
THERE WAS HOGAN
FROM COUNTY TYRONE
THERE WAS JOHNNY McGURK
WHO WAS SCARED
STIFF OF WORK
AND A MAN FROM WESTMEATH
CALLED MALONE
THERE WAS SLUGGER O'TOOLE
WHO WAS DRUNK AS A RULE
AND FIGHTING
BILL TREACY FROM DOVER
AND YOUR MAN, MIKE McCANN
FROM THE BANKS OF THE BANN
WAS THE SKIPPER
ON THE IRISH ROVER
WE HAD SAILED SEVEN YEARS
WHEN THE MEASLES BROKE OUT
AND THE SHIP
LOST ITS WAY IN THE FOG
AND THAT WHALE OF A CREW
WAS REDUCED DOWN TO TWO
JUST MYSELF AND
THE CAPTAIN'S OLD DOG
THEN THE SHIP STRUCK A ROCK
OH LORD, WHAT A SHOCK
THE BULKHEAD WAS
TURNED RIGHT OVER
TURNED NINE TIMES AROUND
AND THE POOR OLD
DOG WAS DROWNED
I'M THE LAST
OF THE IRISH ROVER