The Rumjacks - The Reaper And Tam McCorty

Tam he woke tae find a shadow by the bed
Blamed it on the vapors still beleaguerin' his head
Scrubbed his chops and dragged an oily bug rake through his hair
And wiped the mirror tae find the bogey mimickin' his stare

He boilt the jug tae quench his mug and baked a lump o' toast
Hid behind the racin' pages from the hoary ghost
Awfy ghostie if yer here tae make me dead
Spare me life and bother me wife or Mother in law instead

Tam McCorty I'm not here to make you cry
I know youre just a broken man wi' longing in his eye
I'll say my say and go my way a carving through the rye
Tam McCorty, its not your day to die

By the way ye've hung yer tools o' trade and mantle I can tell
Ye willnae leave until ye've seen me safely intae hell
So follow me down the 'Horse and Crown' of liquor I'm sae fond
I'll drink meself tae death and haunt the witches from beyond

They drank to fallen heroes, they spat and cursed the Queen
They argued o'er 'Black Caviar' The finest ever seen
They smoked cigars and played at cards for pots o' Gilbeys Gin
Roarin' as the fiery liqour, it spilled all down their chin

They staggered home along the tracks and pissed against a post
The dogs a' barkin' madly, all as though they'd seen a ghost
Oh take me now I beg you, pick yer mark and pick it well
I'm tired o' livin' and there I think I hear the hounds o' HELL

Death threw his cloak across him where he passed out in his chair
And whispered in a frosty tone directly in his ear
Best you learn to live again, forgive yerself yer past
For when you see me next Tam, it'll be your last