On the 4th of July 1806, we set sail from the sweet cove of Cork.
We were sailing away with a cargo of bricks for the Grand City Hall in New York.
T'was a wonderful craft she would rig for a laugh.
And oh how the wild winds blowed her.
She stood several blasts, she had twenty-seven masts.
And they called her the Irish Rover.
We had one million bags of the best line of rags.
We had two million barrels of stone.
We had three pretty sides of all blind horses' hides.
We had four million barrels of bones.
We had five million hobs.
Six million doves.
Seven million barrels of porters.
We had eight million piles of old nanny ghost tales.
And all of the Irish Rover.
There was old Mickey Cute who played hard on his flute when the ladies lined up for a set.
He would tootle with skill for each sparkling quadrille till the dancers were fluttered and bent.
With his sweat, with his talk, he was top of the walk.
And he rolled the dame under and over.
They all knew at a glance when he took up his stance that he sailed in the Irish Rover.
There was Donny McGee from the banks of the Lee.
There was Hogan from Kelty, Utah.
There was Johnny McGurk who was scared stiff of war.
And a man from Westmead called me long.
There was Slugger all tall who was drunk as a roll.
And Fighting Bill Tracy from Dover.
And your man, McGregor Cullen from the banks of the Bull.
Was a skipper on the Irish Rover.
For the sailor it's always a bother in life.
It's so lonesome by night and by day.
That he longs for the shore.
And a charming young whore who will melt all his troubles away.
All the noise and the rout, swillin', putchin' and stout.
For him soon is done and over with the love of a maid.
He is never afraid that outside from the Irish Rover.
We had sailed seven years when the measles broke out.
And the ship lost its way in the fog.
And that whale of a crew was reduced now to two.
Just myself and the captain's old dog.
And the ship struck a rock.
Oh Lord, what a shock.
The boat, it was turned right over.
Turned nine times around.
And the poor old dog was drowned.
And the last of the Irish Rover.
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