John O'Reilly

My name is John O'Reilly And my father worked the fields In the hills of old Killarney 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 Killarney streets Well the ship left for America and I took my pack aboard Said goodbye to my dear Ireland, said a prayer to my dear Lord Well, I fought those sorry guineas in the kitchen, they called hell Well, I fought them for their dollar and those guineas paid me well Fare thee well fair Dover Fare thee well your seasons turn My pockets will be jingling on the day of my return The day of my return Oh, c'mon Well, I fought in New York City and I fought in the Jersey shore My gut stayed full of whiskey and my bed stayed full of whores Well they called my right a cannonball and my left they called the same And I left 'em all lying half in blood and half in shame Well 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 Well I said it could be done but only for another two And he smiled at me and nodded as I stuck it in my shoe Fare thee well fair Dover Fare thee well your seasons turn My pockets will be jingling on the day of my return The day of my return 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 them guineas didn't know that I had bet the other way Well 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 had rode the other way And I'll sail from California back to Dublin, one fine day Fare thee well fair Dover Fare thee well your seasons turn My pockets will be jingling on the day of my return The day of my return Fare thee well fair Dover Fare thee well your seasons turn My pockets will be jingling on the day of my return The day of my return C'mon y'all, let me hear ya Thank you'll so much, we had a great time