Irish traditional song lyrics — collected by Beer Belly Band.
When first I came to London in the year of thirty-nine
The city was so wonderful and he girls were so divine
But the coppers got suspicious and they soon gave me the knock
I was charged with being the owner of an ould alarm clock
Next morning down by Marlborough Street I cause no little stir
For the IRA were busy and the telephone did burr
Says the judge I’m going to charge you with the possession of this machine
And I’m also going to charge you with the wearing of the green
Now says I to him, “Your honor, if you give me half a chance”
“I’ll show you how this small machine can make the polis dance”
“It ticks away politely, till you get an awful shock”
“And it ticks away the gelignite in me ould alarm clock”
The judge says, “Listen here my man and I’ll tell you of my plan”
“For you and all your countrymen I do not give a damn”
“The only time you’ll take is mine, ten years is Dartmoor dock”
“And you can count it by the ticking of your ould alarm clock”
This lonely Dartmoor city would put many in the jigs
Now the cell it isn’t pretty and it isn’t very big
I’d long ago have left the place if I had only got
Ah me couple of sticks of gelignite and me ould alarm clock