John O'reilly

My name is John O'Reilly

And my father worked the fields

In the hills of old Kilarny

Where I helped him turn the wheels

My arms grew hard as iron for a boy of 17

And I used my fists for gambling in those wet Kilarny streets

Well the ship left for America and I brought my pack aboard

Said goodbye to my dear Ireland said a prayer to my dear Lord

I fought those sorry guineas in the kitchen they called hell

I fought them for their dollar and those guineas paid me well

[Chorus]

Fair thee well fair Dover

Fair thee well your seasons turn

For my pockets will be jingling on the day of my return

The day of my return

I fought in New York City and I fought the Jersey shore

My gut stayed full of whiskey and my bed stayed full of whores

They called my right a cannonball and my left they called the same

I left em' all lyin' half in blood and half in shame

I met a man on '32 and he stuck out his hand

And he offered me a thousand if I'd fall before his man

I said it could be done but only for another two

He smiled at me and nodded as I stuck it in my shoe

[Chorus]

They rang the bell two times before I let him have my nose

And I let him work my left until my eye was swollen closed

Then I let loose a right that they still talk about today

For that guinea didn't know that I had bet the other way

They covered every dock and every port there on the coast

Looking for that double crosser who had turned into a ghost

But I was on a train my friend that rode the other way

And i'll sail from California back to Dublin one fine day