Irish traditional song lyrics — collected by Beer Belly Band.
Have you heard about the big strong man?
He lived in a caravan.
Have you heard about the Jeffrey Johnson fight?
Oh, Lord what a hell of a fight.
You can take all of the heavyweights you’ve got.
We’ve got a lad that can beat the whole lot.
He used to ring bells in the belfry,
Now he’s gonna fight Jack Demspey.
That was my brother Sylvest’ (What’s he got?)
A row of forty medals on his chest (big chest!)
He killed fifty bad men in the west; he knows no rest.
Think of a man, hells’ fire, don’t push, just shove,
Plenty of room for you and me.
He’s got an arm like a leg (a ladies’ leg!)
And a punch that would sink a battleship (big ship!)
It takes all of the Army and the Navy to put the wind up Sylvest’.
Now, he thought he’d take a trip to Italy.
He thought that he’d go by sea.
He dove off the harbor in New York,
And swam like a great big shark.
He saw the Lusitania in distress.
He put the Lusitania on his chest.
He drank all of the water in the sea,
And he walked all the way to Italy.
He thought he take a trip to old Japan.
They turned out a big brass band.
You can take all of the instruments you’ve got,
We got a lad that can play the whole lot.
And the old church bells will ring (Hells bells!)
The old church choir will sing (Hells fire!)
They all turned out to say farewell to my big brother Sylvest’.
Bog Down in the Valley
O-ro the rattlin’ bog, the bog down in the valley-o
O-ro the rattlin’ bog, the bog down in the valley-o
And in that bog there was a tree, a rare tree, a rattlin’ tree
With the tree in the bog
And the bog down in the valley-o.
Now on that tree there was a limb, a rare limb, a rattlin’ limb
With the limb on the tree and the tree in the bog
And the bog down in the valley-o.
Now on that limb there was a branch, a rare branch, a rattlin’ branch
With the branch on the limb and the limb on the tree and the tree in the bog
And the bog down in the valley-o.
(Repeat, adding a line each time)
Now on that branch there was a twig, a rare twig, a rattlin’ twig…..
Now on that twig there was a nest, a rare nest, a rattlin’ nest…..
Now in that nest there was an egg , a rare egg, a rattlin’ egg…..
Now in that egg there was a bird, a rare bird, a rattlin’ bird…..
Now on that bird there was a feather, a rare feather, a rattlin’ feather …..
Now on that feather there was a flea, a rare flea, a rattlin’ flea …..