The Night Before Larry Was Stretched

Lyrics - Credits - Discography - Covers - Bootlegs - Chords

Lyrics Oh, the night before Larry was stretched Well the boys they all paid him a visit A bit in their sacks too they fetched For they sweated their duds till they ris' it For Larry was always the lad When a boy was condemned to the Squeezer Would fence all the duds that he had For to help his poor friend to a sneezer And warm his ol' gob 'fore he died Well the boys they came crowding in fast And they threw all their stools 'round about him Six glims round his trap-case was placed For he couldn't be well-waked without them When one of them asked, "Could he die Without having duly repented?" Said Larry, "That's all in me eye And first by the clergy invented For to get a fat bit for themselves" "Oh and I'll be cut up like a pie: And me nob from me body be parted You're in the wrong box, then, says I, For blast me if they're so hard-hearted A chalk on the back of your neck Is all that Jack Catch dares to give you Then mind not such trifle's affect Oh why should the likes of them grieve you? And now boys, come tip us the deck." Well the cards being called for they played Until Larry found one of them cheated A point in his napper was made For the boy he'd been easily heated "Oh, hold me the hokey, you thief I'll scuttle your knob with me dodle! You cheat me because I'm in grief Ah, but soon I'll demolish your noddle And leave you your claret to drink" Then the clergy came in with his book And he spoke him so smooth and so civil Larry tipped him kill-sour look And he pitched his big wig to the devil Then sighing he threw back his head For to get a sweet drop of the bottle And dutiful sighing he said, "Oh the hempt 'twill be soon 'round me throttle And choke me poor windpipe to death" "Oh then sure it's the best way to die Oh the dead are no better the living For now when the gallows is high Our journey is shorter to heaven" But what harasses Larry the most And makes his soul poor melancholy Is he thinks of the time when his ghost It will come in a sheet to Sweet Molly "Oh sure, it'll kill her alive" So moving, these last words he spoke We all vented our tears in a shower For me own part I thought me heart broke For to see him cut down like a flower On his travels we watched him next day The throttler I thought I could kill him But Larry not one word did say Nor change did he come to King William And then did his color grow white When he came to the old Dublin Chit He was tucked up so neat and so pretty The rumbler jugged off from his feet And he died with his face to the city He kicked too, but that was all pride For soon you might see 'twas all over Soon after the noose was untied In darkness we waked him in clover And sent him to take his ground sweat Oh, the night before Larry was stretched Well the boys they all paid him a visit A bit in their sacks too they fetched For they sweated their duds till they ris' it For Larry was always the lad When a boy was condemned to the Squeezer Would fence all the duds that he had For to help his poor friend to a sneezer And warm his ol' gob 'fore he died And warm his ol' gob 'fore he died

Credits Written by: Traditional Produced by: Donal Lunny Arranged by: Elvis Costello, Ray Fean, David Hayes, Donal Lunny, Eoghan O'Neill Musicians: Elvis Costello - vocals Donal Lunny - bouzouki, harmonium Barney McKenna - banjo Martin O'Connor - button accordion Eoghan O'Neill - guitar bass Ray Fean - drums Noel Eccles - percussion Discography Albums: Kojak Variety (Deluxe Edition), Rhino, 2004 This section may be incomplete. Singles: This section may be incomplete. Collections: Album Name, Year This section may be incomplete. Alternate Versions: This section may be incomplete. Soundtracks: none Various Artists collections: Common Ground: Voices of Modern Irish Music, 1996 Covers Recorded by: none This section may be incomplete. Performed by: none This section may be incomplete. Bootlegs This section is incomplete.

Chords

Bm A Bm F#m

         Bm                       A
Oh, the night before Larry was stretched 
          Bm                       D
Well the boys they all paid him a visit 
   Bm                          A
A bit in their sacks too they fetched
           Bm           A              E 
For they sweated their duds till they ris' it 
     Bm                   A
For Larry was always the lad 
        Bm         A               D   A
When a boy was condemned to the Squeezer 
       Bm                     A
Would fence all the duds that he had 
        Bm             A           F#m
For to help his poor friend to a sneezer--
        A                         F#m 
-- And warm his ol' gob 'fore he died

Internal links

• Elvis Costello Home Page: lyrics | The Night Before Larry Was Stretched info page
• Template:The Night Before Larry Was Stretched

External links

• Elvis Costello on Rhino Kojak Variety reissue page