come and listen, I'll tell you what happened to me
one day as I went down to cork by the sea
the day it wa hot and the sun it was warm
so says I a quiet pint wouldn't do me no harm

I went in and I called for a bottle of stout
says the barman, I'm sorry all the beer is sold out
try whiskey or paddy, ten years in the wood
says I, I'll try the cider, I've heard it was good

oh never, oh never, oh never again
If I live to a hundred or a hundred and ten
I fell to the ground and I couldn't get up
After drinkin' a quart of that Johnny Jump Up

After downing the third I went into the yard
When I bumped into brody the big civic guard
Come here to me boy, don't you know I'm the law
well I up with me fist and I shattered his jaw

he fell to the gound with his knees doubled up
But it wasn't I that hit him was the Johnny Jump Up
Next thing I remember down in cork by the sea
was a cripple on crutches and he says to me

I'm afraid on me life I'll be hit by a car
Won't you help me across to the Celtic Knot Bar?
After drinkin' a quart of that cider so sweet
he threw down his crutches and he danced on his feet

chorus

I went down the lee road, a friend for to see
they call it a madhouse in cork by the sea
well when I got there sure the truth I will tell
they had this poor bugger locked up in a cell

said the guard testing him, say these words if you can
around the rugged rock, the ragged rascal ran
tell him I'm not crazy, tell him I'm not mad
It's only a sip of that bottle I had

chorus

a man died in the mines by the name of macnabb
they washed him and they laid him outside on the slab
well after the parlors measurement did take
his wife brought him home to a bloody fine wake

twas about 12 oclock and the beer was high
the corpse sits up and he says with a sigh
I can't get to heaven, they won't let me up
til I bring 'em a quart of the johnny jump up

chorus

so if ever you go down to cork by the sea
stay out of the alehouse and take it from me
if you want to stay sane don't you dare take a sup
of that devil drink cider called Johnny Jump Up