Finnegans Wake | The Poxy Boggards Lyrics, Meaning & Videos

Finnegans Wake
The Poxy Boggards Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴Tim Finnegan lived in Watling Street
A gentle Irishman mighty odd
He′d a beautiful brogue so rich and sweet
To rise in the world he carried a hod
You see he'd sort of a tippling way
With love for a liquor poor Tim was born
To help him on with his work every day
He′d a drop of the Craythor every morn'
And whack Fol-De-Dah now dance to your partner
Welt the floor, your trotters shake
Wasn't it the truth I told ya
Lots of fun at Finnegan′s wake.

One morning Tim was rather full
His head felt heavy which made him shake
Fell from the ladder and broke his skull
So they carried him home his corpse to wake
Rolled him up in a nice clean sheet
And laid him upon the bed
A bottle of whiskey at his feet
And a gallon of porter at his head

And whack Fol-De-Dah now dance to your partner
Welt the floor, your trotters shake
Wasn′t it the truth I told ya
Lots of fun at Finnegan's wake.

His friends assembled at his wake
And Missus Finnegan called for lunch
First they brought in tay and cake
Then pipes, tobacco and whiskey and punch
Biddy O′Brien began to cry
Such a nice clean corpse did you ever did see
Tim mavourneen, why did you die?
Hold your gob said Paddy McGee.

And whack Fol-De-Dah now dance to your partner
Welt the floor, your trotters shake
Wasn't it the truth I told ya
Lots of fun at Finnegan′s wake.

Then Peggy O'Connor took up the job
Biddy she says You′re wrong I'm sure
Biddy then gave her a belt on the gob
And left her sprawling on the floor
Then the war did soon engage
Woman to Woman and Man to Man
Shillelah law was all the rage
And a row and a ruction soon began

And whack Fol-De-Dah now dance to your partner
Welt the floor, your trotters shake
Wasn't it the truth I told ya
Lots of fun at Finnegan′s wake.

And whack Fol-De-Dah now dance to your partner
Welt the floor, your trotters shake
Wasn′t it the truth I told ya
Lots of fun at Finnegan's wake.

Mickey Maloney he raised his head
When a bottle of whiskey flew at him
It missed him falling on the bed
The liquor scattered over Tim
Tim revives see how he rises
Timothy rising from the bed
Whirl your whiskey around like blazes
Thanum an Dhul, do ye think I′m dead.

And whack Fol-De-Dah now dance to your partner
Welt the floor, your trotters shake

Wasn't it the truth I told ya
Lots of fun at Finnegan′s wake.


Overall Meaning

The song "Finnegans Wake" by The Poxy Boggards tells a humorous story of Tim Finnegan, an Irishman who loved his alcohol. Tim lived in Watling Street and worked as a hod carrier, but he had a "tippling way" and drank a drop of the strong Irish whiskey, Craythor, every morning to help him get through his workday. Unfortunately, one day, Tim drank too much and fell off a ladder, breaking his skull. His friends laid him out on his bed, surrounded by alcohol and food, for his wake, but things quickly got out of hand. The mourners began to argue and fight, and in the chaos, a bottle of whiskey was thrown and landed on Tim's body. To everyone's surprise, Tim revived and joined in the revelry.


The lyrics vividly tell the story of Tim's wake and the chaotic scenes that unfolded. They paint a picture of the mourners dancing and drinking, and the shenanigans that ensued, making it a fun and lively song. It also highlights the role that alcohol played in Irish culture and the importance of communal gatherings, such as wakes, in bringing people together.


Line by Line Meaning

Tim Finnegan lived in Watling Street
Tim Finnegan resided in Watling Street


A gentle Irishman mighty odd
Tim was a gentle Irish man, kind of peculiar


He′d a beautiful brogue so rich and sweet
And with a stunning accent so mellifluous and neat


To rise in the world he carried a hod
He carried a hod to elevate his social status


You see he'd sort of a tippling way
He used to drink a bit too much every day


With love for a liquor poor Tim was born
Tim was infatuated with liquor from the day he was born


To help him on with his work every day
To help him every day with his job, come what may


He′d a drop of the Craythor every morn'
He'd start his day with a sip of the fiery Craythor


And whack Fol-De-Dah now dance to your partner
Let's all dance now, with a Fol-De-Dah and your partner


Welt the floor, your trotters shake
Stamp your feet and shake your legs briskly without a break


Wasn't it the truth I told ya
Didn't I tell you the truth, aren't you happy now


Lots of fun at Finnegan′s wake.
Everyone is having a blast at Finnegan's wake


One morning Tim was rather full
One fine morning, Tim was inebriated to the brim


His head felt heavy which made him shake
His head felt like lead, causing him to waver and quake


Fell from the ladder and broke his skull
He fell from the ladder, his skull fractured like a hull


So they carried him home his corp to wake
His mates took him home, to give his body the wake


Rolled him up in a nice clean sheet
Wrapped him with attention, tidiness and neat


And laid him upon the bed
Placed him gently on the bed


A bottle of whiskey at his feet
A bottle of whiskey at his feet to treat


And a gallon of porter at his head
And a gallon of porter at his head, a fitting spread


His friends assembled at his wake
Folks gathered at his wake


And Missus Finnegan called for lunch
Mrs. Finnegan requested lunch to crunch


First they brought in tay and cake
First they served tea and cake


Then pipes, tobacco and whiskey and punch
Followed by pipes, tobacco, punch and whiskey to crunch


Biddy O′Brien began to cry
Biddy O'Brien started weeping, with a sigh


Such a nice clean corpse did you ever did see
Such a neat and nice corpse was never seen in history


Tim mavourneen, why did you die?
Tim, my dear, why did you have to die?


Hold your gob said Paddy McGee.
But Paddy McGee silenced her, saying 'hold your plea'


Then Peggy O'Connor took up the job
Peggy O'Connor started fighting, with a throb


Biddy she says You′re wrong I'm sure
Biddy retorted 'You're mistaken', with a lure


Biddy then gave her a belt on the gob
Biddy gave her a punch on the mouth, a heavy sob


And left her sprawling on the floor
And Peggy fell down flat, sore


Then the war did soon engage
And then a war ensued with great rage


Woman to Woman and Man to Man
Women fighting women and men fighting men


Shillelah law was all the rage
And the Shillelagh law was all the rage


And a row and a ruction soon began
And a clamour and a conflict soon began


Mickey Maloney he raised his head
Mickey Maloney perked himself with a head raise


When a bottle of whiskey flew at him
When a flask of whiskey hurtled through the dim


It missed him falling on the bed
It missed him, falling on Tim's bed


The liquor scattered over Tim
The spirit spread over Tim's stem


Tim revives see how he rises
Tim comes back to life, see how he surmises


Timothy rising from the bed
Timothy is getting up from the bed


Whirl your whiskey around like blazes
Swirl your whiskey like a whirlwind, one that amazes


Thanum an Dhul, do ye think I′m dead.
By the Lord God, do you really think I'm dead?


And whack Fol-De-Dah now dance to your partner
Let's all dance now, with a Fol-De-Dah and your partner


Welt the floor, your trotters shake
Stamp your feet and shake your legs briskly without a break


Wasn't it the truth I told ya
Didn't I tell you the truth, aren't you happy now


Lots of fun at Finnegan′s wake.
Everyone is having a blast at Finnegan's wake


Writer(s): Traditional, Sean O'boyle, Jane Rutter

Contributed by Hudson E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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