Tim Finnegan example essay topic

461 words
Finnegan's Wake is an old Irish tune, but these words were added later for music-hall use during the Victorian era. Some Irish people have objected to them as an English inspired stereotype, but I first heard this song sung by the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Make, at the Gate of Horn in Chicago, in the late 50's. To me, no one was more Irish than they were. Here it is in honor of Saint Patrick's Day.

[C] Tim Finnegan lived on [Am] Walker Street And a [F] gentle, Irishman, [G] mighty odd; [C] He'd a beautiful brogue [Am] so rich and sweet And to [F] rise in the world he [G] carried a [C] hod. You see he'd a sort o' the [Am] tip plin' way With a [C] love of the liquor poor [Am] Tim was born And to [C] help him on with his [Am] work each day He'd a [F] 'drop of the cray-thur' [G] every [C] morn. Chorus: [C] Whack fol the die do, [Am] dance to your partner [F] Welt the floor, your [G] trotters shake; [C] Wasn't it the [Am] truth I told you [F] Lots of fun at [G] Finnegan's [C] wake! 2. One morn in' Tim was rather full His head felt heavy which made him shake; He fell from the ladder and broke his skull And they carried him home his corpse to wake. They rolled him up in a nice clean sheet And laid him out upon the bed, With a gallon of whiskey at his feet And a barrel of porter at his head.

Chorus: 3. His friends assembled at the wake And Mrs. Finnegan called for lunch, First they brought in tea and cake Then pipes, tobacco and whiskey punch. Biddy O'Brien began to cry 'Such a nice clean corpse, did you ever see? 'Tim, , why did you die?' 'Armagh, hold your gob's aid Paddy McGee! Chorus: 4. Then Maggie O'Connor took up the job 'O Biddy,' says she, 'You " re wrong, I'm sure' Biddy gave her a belt in the gob And left her sprawl in' on the floor.

And then the war did soon engage 'Twas woman to woman and man to man, Shillelagh law was all the rage And the row and eruption soon began. Chorus: 5. Then Mickey Maloney raised his head When a noggin of whiskey flew at him, It missed, and fall in' on the bed The liquor scattered over Tim! Tim revives! See how he raises! Timothy rising from the bed, Says,' Whirl your whiskey around like blazes Than um o'n Dhul!

Did you think I'm dead?' Chorus:.