The Old Dun Cow

(Harry Wincott circa 1893, arranged by Brendan Nolan)

Key of E Minor

Friends and I in a public house
Playing dominos one night
When into the bar the barman came
His face all chalky-white
"What's up" said Brown
Have you seen a ghost
Have you seen your old aunt Mariah'
"Ah, me aunt Mariah be God" says he
"Sure the bloody pub's on fire!

Oh, says Brown, "there's a bit of luck
Everybody follow me
Down to the cellar, if the fire's not there
And we'll have a good oul spree"
So we all went down with good oul Brown
And booze we couldn't miss
And hadn't been ten minutes there
When we were all 'drunk and disorderly'!

Chorus
And there was brown, upside down
Lapping up the whiskey off the floor
"Booze, booze", the firemen cried
As they came knocking at the door
"Don't let them in till it's all mopped up
Somebody shouted "McIntryre"
And we all stoned-blind paralytic drunk
When the Old Dun Cow caught fire

Delaney went over to the port-wine tub
And gave it a few hard knocks
He started taking off his pantaloons
Likewise his shoes and socks
"Ah now," says Brown, "You can't do that
You can't do that down here
Don't wash your trotters in the port-wine tub
When we've got lots of good strong beer"

Chorus

Then there came an awful crash
Half the bloody roof caved in
We were nearly drowned by the firemen's hose
But we were feeling gay
Then up with shutters and the old tin tacks
We nailed ourselves inside
And we sat there pints of beer
Till we were bleary-eyed.