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Oh, Sullivan's John, to the road you've gone,
Far away from your native home;
You've gone with the tinker's daughter,
Along the road to roam.
Ah, Sullivan's John, you won't stick it long,
Till your belly will soon get slack,
As you roam the road with a mighty load,
And a tool box on your back.
I met Katy Caffey with her neat baby,
Behind on her back strapped on;
She had an old ash plant all in her hand
For to drive her donkey on.
Enquiring every farmer's house,
As along the road she passed,
Ah where would she get an old pot to mend,
Ah where would she get an ass?
At the hairy ass fair in the County Clare
In a place they call Spancil Hill,
A man named James got a wrap of a hames,
And poor Paddy they tried to kill.
They loaded him up in an ass and cart
As along the road they passed;
Aye, bad luck to the day when I ran away,
To join with a tinker's band.
This arrangement recorded by the Sons of Erin, featuring band leader Ralph O'Brien, Johnnie Lynn, "Wee" John Cameron, and Denis Ryan on their self-titled album, Sons Of Erin, ca.1970.
