Well I am a little beggarman, a begging I have been
For three score years in this little isle of green
I'm known along the Liffy from the Basin to the Zoo
And everybody calls me by the name of Johnny Dhu

Of all the trades a going, sure the begging is the best
For when a man is tired he can sit him down and rest
He can beg for his dinner, he has nothing else to do
But to slip around the corner with his old rigadoo

I slept in a barn one night in Currabawn
A shocking wet night it was, but I slept until the dawn
There was holes in the roof and the raindrops coming thru
And the rats and the cats were a playing peek a boo

Who did I waken but the woman of the house
With her white spotted apron and her calico blouse
She began to frighten and I said boo
Sure, don't be afraid at all, it's only Johnny Dhu

I met a little girl while a walkin out one day
Good morrow little flaxen haired girl, I did say
Good morrow little beggarman and how do you do
With your rags and your tags and your auld rigadoo

I'll buy a pair of leggins and a collar and a tie
And a nice young lady I'll go courting by and by
I'll buy a pair of goggles and I'll color them with blue
And an old fashioned lady I will make her too

So all along the high road with my bag upon my back
Over the fields with my bulging heavy sack
With holes in my shoes and my toes a peeping thru
Singing, skin a ma rink a doodle with my auld rigadoo

O I must be going to bed for it's getting late at night
The fire is all raked and now tis out of light
For now you've heard the story of my auld rigadoo
So good and God be with you, from auld Johnny Dhu

Oh, don't you hear the Old Man say
Ch: Goodbye fare-ye-well, goodbye fare-ye well
Oh, don't you hear the Old Man say
Ch: Hooraw, me boys, we're homeward bound!

We're homeward bound to Liverpool town,
Where them judies they will come down.

And when we gets to the Wallasea Gates,
Sally and Polly for their flash men do wait.

And one to the other ye'll hear them say,
Here comes Johnny with fourteen months pay.

Them girls there on Lime Street we soon hope to meet,
Soon we'll be rollin' both sides of the street.

We'll meet these fly gals and we'll ring the ol' bell,
With them judies we'll meet there we'll raise merry hell.

I'll tell me old mammy when I gets back home,
The girls there on Lime Street won't leave me alone.

We're homeward bound to the gals o' the town.
Stamp up me bullies an' heave it around.

And when we gets home, boys, oh won't we fly 'round,
We'll heave up the anchor to this bully sound.

We're a fine flashy packet and bound for to go,
With the gals on the towrope we cannot say no!

We're all homeward bound for the old backyard,
Then heave, me bullies, we're all bound homeward.

I wrote to my Kitty, she says she is well,
She rooms at the Astor and dines at the Bell.

Heave with a will, boys, oh heave good and strong,
Sing a good chorus for 'tis a good song.

We're homeward bound, we'll have ye to know,
And over the water to England must go.

Come all you bold Britons, to the sea do belong,
Of the seventeen bright stars I will sing you a song.
On the fifteenth of April at Spithead we lay;
Lord Britport he hove out a signal to weigh,
But one and all we refused to obey.

Ch: Ri lori liddle la liddle,
La diddle la diddle ay day

The reason unto you I now will relate:
We resolved to refuse the purser's short weight.
Our humble petition to Lord Howe we sent,
That he to the Admirality write to present
Our provisions and wages that they might augment.

Then each son of Neptune took oath without dread,
Till redress was obtained, not to sail from Spithead.
Two tars from each ship of the line did appear
On board the “Queen Charlotte” without dread or fear,
While the ships manned their yards with a thundering loud cheer.

Billy Pitt and then Dundas soon heard of the news:
They fell in a rage and the tars did abuse.
They sent for Lord Spencer and to him did say:
“For Portsmouth, my lord, and make no delay,
For the mutinous tars all refuse to obey.”

Lord Spencer to us then these words did express:
“Your grievance, my lads, it shall soon find redress.
you'll have full provisions and a shilling a day.”
We trusted their honour, and our anchors did weigh,
But the wind coming west, at St Heles we lay.

When we found from their promise they meant for to run,
We resolved for to force them before we had done.
When the signal was made to the sea to repair,
We then did refuse with another loud cheer,
Which made our proud rulers to quake and to fear.

At length from our king brave Lord Howe he was sent,
To redress our grievance to our full intent.
We received the old hero with joy as our friend,
and, the act being passed, we will cheerfully sing,
Confusion to France, boys, and long live our king.

Here's a health to Lord Howe in a full flowing glass,
Confusion to Pitt and likewise to Dundas.
The seventeen bright stars in a bumper shall roar,
Their praises shall sound out from shore to shore,
They'll ne'er be forgot until England's no more.