Steve O'Donnell's Wake

Steve O'Donnell's Wake
(Traditional)

Steve O'Donnell was a gentleman, so everybody said,
He was loved by all his friends both rich and poor,
And everyone felt 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 slugger's face and throat,
And cut his hair an a la pompadour,
A red necktie and button-hole bouquet were in his coat,
And a bunch of shamrocks in his hands he wore.

Chorus:
And there were fighters, and blighters, and Irish dynamiters,
There was beer, gin, whiskey, wine and cake;
There were men of high position, there were Irish politicians
And they all got drunk at Steve O'Donnell's Wake.

Now undertaker Feeney had a job to lay him out,
In a casket of the very finest make,
He dressed the corpse in broadcloths, sayin,' "Boys, there'll be no doubt,
They'll all be sad at Steve O'Donnell's wake."

There were fifty candles at his head and twenty at his feet,
And plenty flowers sent for friendship's sake.
"Oh, Stevie boy, why didya die?" the weeping widow cried,
And they all felt sad at Steve O'Donnell's wake.

(Repeat chorus)

Now Mick McGovern said of Steve, "He was an awful bum,"
Of course he only meant it as a joke;
But Paddy Mack got off his back and made McGovern run,
When he hit him in the eye an awful poke.

All joined in the fighting then, 'cause everyone was mad,
And blood enough was shed to flood a lake;
They knocked the corpse down to the floor and busted all the lights,
There was holy war at Steve O'Donnell's wake.

(Repeat chorus)

Now the cops came in to stop the brawl and make them understand,
The corpse was picked up by his brother Dan;
When someone stole the necktie from around O'Donnell's throat,
Mick McGovern said O'Reilly was the man.

O'Reilly and his friends got mad and swore they'd have his life,
McGovern swore they'd made a great mistake;
They fought and fought and drank all night 'til the cops came back again,
And arrested all at Steve O'Donnell's wake.

(Repeat chorus)

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