Steve O'Donnell's Wake
(traditional) 4:02 (additional music & lyrics paul moore)

O'Donnell was a gentleman, so everybody said,
He was loved by all his friends both rich and poor,
And everyone was sorry when they heard that Steve was dead,
And they saw the black crepe paper 'round the door.
The barber came to shave the Galway boxer's face and throat,
And cut his hair to fit him through the door,
A red necktie and button-hole bouquet were in his coat,
And a bunch of shamrocks in his hat he wore.

Chorus:
And they were fighters, and writers, and Belfast dynamiters,
There was beer, gin, whiskey, wine and cake; (not much cake!)
They were men of high position, they were Irish politicians
And we all got drunk at Steve O'Donnell's Wake.

The undertaker Sweeney got the job to lay him out,
In a casket of the very finest make,
He dressed him up right handsome, saying,' "Boys, there'll be no doubt,
The tears will flow at Steve O'Donnell's wake."
There were fifty candles at his head, a dozen at his feet,
And flowers everywhere for friendship's sake.
"Oh, Stevie boy, why did ya die?" his weeping widow cried,
And we bowed our heads as Father Murphy prayed.
(Repeat Chorus)

As the whiskey flowed McGovern said that "Stevie was a bum,"
But he said that's just the way some of us felt.
So Paddy Mack got off his back and knocked McGovern down,
When he hit him on the jaw a mighty belt.
All the boys joined in the fighting, everyone was raging mad,
And the blood they shed could fill a shaggin' lake;
They knocked poor Stevie to the ground and they busted out the lights,
It was holy war at Steve O'Donnell's wake.
(Repeat Chorus)

Now the cops came in to stop the brawl and calm the boyos down,
The corpse was picked up by his brother Dan;
We started telling stories when McGovern dropped a bomb
He said Stevie never fought the Black n Tans
So Paddy threw his whiskey back and swore he'd take his life,

McGovern swore he'd try to do the same;
They fought and drank and drank and fought 'til the cops came back again,
And joined the craic at Steve O'Donnell's wake.
[Repeat Chorus 2Xs]

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