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Come all you lads of Erin, your attention I do crave,
Whilst I relate the praises of an Irish hero brave;
Concerning of that great fight which took place the other day,
Between a Russian sailor and the gallant Morrissey.
'Twas in Terra Del Fuego in the south of Americay,
The Russian met the champion those words to him did say:
"You are an Irish hero brave, you wears the belt I see,
What do you think if you'd consent and have a round with me?"
Then up speaks brave Morrissey with a heart both stout and true,
"Yes I am an Irishman that never was subdued;
And I can lick those Yankees and you, saucy beggar bear,
In honour of old Paddy's land it's the laurel I do wear."
To fight all on the tenth of March those champions did agree,
And people came from every port this battle for to see;
And fifty thousand dollars, as you may plainly see,
Was to be the bold champion's prize who would gain the victory.
They both shook hands, walked 'round the ring most gallant to be
seen,
When Morrissey put on the belt bound 'round with shamrock green;
They both shook hands walked 'round the ring and then began to fight,
'Twould thrill the heart of an Irish lad for to behold the sight.
The Russian flew at Morrissey up to the eleventh round,
The Yankees and the Russians cheered, the valley did resound;
The Yankees and the Russians cheered, their hearts were full of glee,
They were pretty sure their bully boy would gain the victory.
From that up to the twenty-second 'twas fall for fall about,
Which caused those foreign tyrants to keep a sharp lookout;
When the Russian called his second for to give him a glass of wine,
Our hero smiled and then replied, "The battle is surely mine."
The twenty-ninth decided all, the Russian felt a smart,
With a terrible blow from Morrissey which reached him to the heart;
The doctors they were called upon to bleed him in the vein,
But they said it is quite useless, he will never fight again.
Sung by Alexander March (1865-1953) of Port-au-Port, NL, and published in MacEdward Leach And The Songs Of Atlantic Canada © 2004 Memorial University of Newfoundland Folklore and Language Archive (MUNFLA).
Note: John Morrissey (1831-1878) was a famous Irish bare knuckles prizefighter, raised in the United States.
