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Right from the field Jim Tapper led,
At Barrington Street a mile ahead;
But when the crowd began to shout,
He felt his buttons were giving out.
He kept the pace till nearing town,
When he found his breeches were falling down;
Then headed by the other men
He had too much lead in his pantaloons;
For the buttons played him a dirty trick,
Only for that, the crowd he'd lick.
And now when the boys he is going to face,
He'll run in his drawers in every race;
So now to the laundry the drawers are gone,
To have them starched for the marathon.
For Tapper says the crowd he'll beat,
For he's bound to win, and he'll make a bet
The one who beats him will lose some sweat;
So he won't be tricked when he's on the track,
He'll have the drawers glued on his back.
Published in Burke's Ballads, p.20, c.1960, compiled by John White and archived at Memorial University of Newfoundland, Libraries, Centre For Newfoundland Studies - Digitized Books collection.
See more songs by Johnny Burke.
From Wiktionary:
Breeches - garment worn by men, covering the hips and thighs; smallclothes; pantaloons; britches.
