Lyrics The Real McKenzies

The Real McKenzies

Chip

Chip worked as a boatwright

As his father and his gran

Working in a boat yard

Building on the River Thames

One day Chip was hard at work

The Devil appeared from Hell

He held a roll of copper

And a bucket full of nails

The devil said unto Chip

Take these nail and copper roll

But you also have to take this rat

And I will take your soul

Chip despised the rat

The rat squealed and hissed

But the bucket o' nails and copper

Were too much to resist

Chip went straight to work

He'd get rid of the rat

And there would no be a problem

With his death after the fact

But the devil rat wouldn't die

No matter how hard he tried

The rat attacked the boatwright

And he bit him in the eye

It seemed as if the river rats

Fell under Satan's spell

They followed Chip around

And made his life a living hell

He slowly lost his mind

He lost his family

He lost his job

And had to join the King's Navy

A lemon grows a pip

A yard will build a ship

As Satan is my master

I will get you a Chip

The rats chased Chip

Up the gangplank of the ship

They bit him and tortured him

Until he finally flipped

He sniveled to the captain

To turn around the rig

The captain spied his madness

And chucked him into the brig

Now the devil rat had his man

He knew just what to do

He'd command the rats

And through the planks they'd chew

The water rushed in

The ship went down

She was smashed upon the rocks

On which the rats danced around