HENNESSY'S FANCY BALL | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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When Michael Hennessy said he'd give a Fancy Ball All the blessed neighbourhood was on tip-toe Blind men and crippled men who could not dance at all Swore that if it paralysed them, they would go Oh what a making up, shaking up, and taking up Happy homes were breaking up, dresses to supply Bed curtains all in rags, girls in their father's bags Boys dressed in tattered flags, stolen on the sly Dress? - such a funny lot of divils sure were never seen Wigs? - sure they'd turn the heart of Clarkson fairly blue and green Paint? - by the ton to mix - Jewels? - diamonds big as bricks Fun? - well, they laughed so much they fairly shook the wall 'Twas ructions sure for one and all, That night at Hennessy's Fancy Ball Chorus: Bring all your Covent gardens and your Buckingham Palaces too Hennessy's Ball would bang them all - upon my soul, it's true Search the dictionary and you'll find no word at all Which would give you the slightest idea About Hennessy's Fancy Ball. Doolin and Clancy, as Napoleon and Wellington Came dressed in a blanket which they shared - half each Doyle, as KIng Richard, a saucepan on his head And the soot that trickled down made people screech Black men and Yankee ones, podgy kings and lanky ones Moody and Sankey ones, demons, imps and fays Capered and danced around, some tumbled on the ground Till they all heard the sound, 'Supper's ready, plaze.' Rush? - well, you never saw the like in all your craping up Boys? - yes, and colleens with an appetite were kaping up Eat? - well, they ate an ox - Drinks? - they'd have drunk the docks Grub? - well, they gave it socks, we left none there at all 'Twas 'Clear the Board' said great and small That night at Hennessy's Fancy Ball Chorus: After supper, boys, Micky the piper played Rather out of tune, so Doolin said 'Mind now You're drunk' but Mick denied, and he for Doolin made And in a minute there commenced a row One dirty mother's son punched the nose of Wellington Jumped upon Napoleon lying in the dark Each singled out a foe, and then we let it go Just for an hour or so - och! it was a lark Fight? - sure their noses were as ruby as geraniums Bumps? - sure the whole of us had ornamental craniums Home? - no, 'twas quickly done - Dance? - yes, we had more fun Dead? - not a single person was propped against the wall We danced till morn, both great and small That night at Hennessy's Fancy Ball. Chorus: |
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Written and composed by E.W. Rogers - 1906 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Performed by 'Viscount' Walter Munroe (d. 1914) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
From monologues.co.uk Music Hall Lyrics Collection | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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