Murphy Broke the Pledge
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Murphy Broke The Pledge is a popular Newfoundland folk song. It was written by Johnny Burke (1851-1930), a popular St. John's balladeer.
[edit] Lyrics
- Timothy Murphy kept the pledge
- For nearly fourteen year,
- But Christmas even' he felt so bad,
- He got out on the beer;
- Oh, he came home like a roaring lion
- Filled up with rum and gin,
- For he's like a Bengal tiger
- When he gets a mouthful in.
- There's not a porch for half a mile
- That came in Murphy's sight,
- But felt his hob-nailed bluchers
- When he let out that night;
- And sashes tumbled 'round the floor
- And cats at doors did scrape,
- For they knew their time on earth was short
- When Timothy rounds the cape.
(chorus)
- He broke lamps and cups and crockeryware,
- The pots and soup tureens,
- He ate everything that was in the house,
- Pigs' heads and boiled crubeens;
- Now there's not a sound eye in the block,
- From Murphy's heavy sledge,
- And the town is all on crutches now,
- Since Murphy broke the pledge.
- If Murphy don't get thirty days,
- And I hope and pray he will,
- There'll be humps on undertaker's back
- From all the crowds he'll kill;
- And the beaver hats, they won't hold out
- To bury all the dead,
- If Timothy ties his braces 'round
- To paint the city red.
- He broke lamps and cups and crockeryware,
- The pots and soup tureens,
- He ate everything that was in the house,
- Pigs' heads and boiled curbeens;
- Now there's not a sound eye in the block,
- From Murphy's heavy sledge,
- And the town is all on crutches now,
- Since Murphy broke the pledge.
- The neighbourhood is on their knees
- In meditation deep.
- In hope he'll get the summer
- Through the iron bars to peep;
- For if not, we'll go to Nagle's Hill
- And leave our snug abode,
- For I'd sooner face a unicorn
- Than Murphy with a load.
- He broke lamps and cups and crockeryware,
- The pots and soup tureens,
- He ate everything that was in the house,
- Pigs' heads and boiled crubeens;
- Now there's not a sound eye in the block,
- From Murphy's heavy sledge,
- And the town is all on crutches now,
- Since Murphy broke the pledge.