Up Went Nelson

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"Up Went Nelson" is a song by The Go Lucky Four (a group of Belfast school teachers Gerry Burns, Finbar Carolan, John Sullivan and Eamonn McGirr) that was number one on the Irish music charts in 1966 for eight consecutive weeks.

It was sung to the tune of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and is about the destruction of Nelson's Pillar in Dublin.

[edit] Lyrics

Chorus: Up went Nelson in old Dublin,
Up went Nelson in old Dublin,
All along O'Connell Street the stones and rubble flew,
As up went Nelson and the pillar too.

One early morning in the year of 'sixty six,
A band of Irish laddies were knocking up some tricks,
They thought Horatio Nelson had over stayed a mite,
So they helped him on his way with some sticks of gelignite.

(Chorus)

The Irish population came from miles around,
To see the English hero lying on the ground,
The Dublin Corporation had no funds to have it done,
With the pillar blew to pieces by the tonne, tonne, tonne.

(Chorus)

A crowd of lads and lassies from a dance nearby came out,
To see the bits of Nelson scattred all about,
A gossoon from the Coombe says we'll have to have a care,
In case the Corporation put King Billy there.

(Chorus)