American Old Time Song Lyrics: 26 Steve Odonnells Wake

Theater, Music-Hall, Nostalgic, Irish & Historic Old Songs, Volume 26

STEVE O'DONNELL'S WAKE.
Copyright. 1889, by Chas. D. Blake & Co.
Words and Music by Frank C. Turner.

Steve O'Donnell was a gentleman, so everybody said.
He was liked by all his friends, both rich and poor.
So of course they all felt sorry when they heard that he was dead,
And they saw a piece of crane hung on his door;
Now undertaker Feeney had the job to lay him out.
He got a casket of the finest make;
And he dressed the corpse in broadcloth, and said: Boys I have no doubt
You will all remember Steve O'Donnell's wake.

Chorus.
There were biters, there were fighters, lots of dynamiters.
There was beer, and there was whiskey, wine and cake;
There were men in high positions, there were Irish politicians.
And they all got drunk at Steve O'Donnell's wake.

A barber came and shaved his Galway sluggers from his throat,
And cut his hair a la la pompadour;
A red necktie and buttonhole bouquet was in his coat,
And a hunch of shamrocks in his hand he bore.
There was thirteen candles at his head and twenty at his side.
And lots of flowers sent for friendship's sake;
Yerra, Steve, my b'ye, why did you die, the weeping widow cried.
Sure, we all felt bad at Steve O'Donnell's wake.-Chorus.

Now Mike McGovern said he thought O'Donnell was a Jew,
Of course, he only meant it for a joke;
But Patsey Mack got up his back and at McGovern flew,
And he hit him in the eye an awful poke.
Sure all hands began a-fighting then, for everyone was mad,
And blood enough was spilled to form a lake:
They knocked the corpse upon the floor and blew out all the lights,
There was murder down at Steve O'Donnell's wake.-Chorus.

The police came in and stopped the row and made them understand,
The corpse was picked up by his brother. Dan;
But someone stole the necktie that was 'round O'Donnells throat,
Tim O'Kelly said McGovern was the man.
Then McGovern's friends got crazy mad and swore they'd have his life,
O'Reilly saw he made a big mistake;
But he fought and yelled, and danced around until the cops came in
And arrested all at Steve O'Donnell's wake.-Chorus.