Old Dun Cow
Lyrics and music Traditional
Performed by The Brobdingnagian Bards on Brobdingnagian Fairy Tales

Some friends and I in a public house
Was playing a game of chance one night
When into the pub a fireman ran
His face all a chalky white.
"What's up", says Brown, "Have you seen a ghost,
Or have you seen your Aunt Mariah?"
"Me Aunt Mariah be buggered", says he,
"The bleedin' pub's on fire!"

And there was Brown, he was upside down
Lappin' up the whiskey on the floor.
Then "Booze, booze!" The firemen cried
As they came a-knockin' on the door (clap clap)
Oh don't let 'em in 'till it's all drunk up
And somebody shouted MacIntyre. (MacIntyre!)
And we all got blue-blind paralytic drunk
When the Old Dun Cow caught fire.

"Oh well", says Brown, "What a bit of luck.
Everybody follow me.
And it's down to the cellar
If the fire's not there
Then we'll hve a grand old spree."
So we went on down after good old Brown
The booze we could not miss
And we hadn't been there ten minutes or more
Till we were all quite pissed.

Then, Smith walked over to the port wine tub
And gave it just a few hard knocks (clap clap)
Started takin' off his pantaloons
Likewise his shoes and socks.
"Hold on", says Brown, "That ain't allowed
Ya cannot do that thing here.
Don't go washin' trousers in the port wine tub
When we got Guinness beer."

Then there came from the old back door
The Vicar of the local church
And when he saw our drunken ways,
He began to scream and curse.
"Ah, you drunken sods! You heathen clods!
You've taken to a drunken spree!
You drank up all the Benedctine wine
And you didn't save a drop for me!"

And then there came a mighty crash
Half the bloody roof caved in
We were almost drowned in the firemen's hose
But still we were gonna stay.
So we got some tacks and some old wet sacks
And we nailed ourselves inside
And we sat drinking the finest rum
Till we were bleary-eyed.

Later that night, when the fire was out
We came up from the cellar below.
Our pub was burned. Our booze was drunk.
Our heads was hanging low.
"Oh look", says Brown with a look quite queer.
Seems something raised his ire.
"Now we gotta get down to Murphy's Pub,
It closees on the hour!"

Background from Marc Gunn: Our friend Snicker first suggested this song in 2000 at the Texas Renaissance "Venice" Faire (it rained a lot that year). At long last, we added it to our repetoire and what a great addition it is. It's a great sing-a-long and fun to shout along with.

If there is anything I've missed, any information that you know to be incorrect, or if there is a song you've heard on the podcast that you would like to see included, please do not hesitate to contact me at lyrics@renaissancefestivalmusic.com.