[Warning: Derogatory racial terms. Presented in original form as part of music history.]
M’Closkey’s great fight; comic song and chorus, 1890.
Words and music by J. W. Kelley.
The sheet music:
Lyrics
1. ‘Twas down at Dan McDevitt’s
At the corner of this street
There was to be a prize fight
And both parties were to meet
To make all the arrangements
And see every thing was right
McCloskey and a nagur
Were to have a finish fight
The rules were London Prize Ring
And McCloskey said he’d try
To bate the nagur wid one punch
Or in the ring he’d die
The odds were on McCloskey
Though the betting it was small
‘Twas on McCloskey ten to one
On the nagur none at all
Chorus
“Throw him down McCloskey”
Was to be the battle cry
“Throw him down McCloskey
You can lick him if you try”
And future generations
With wonder and delight
Will read on hist’ry’s pages
Of the great McCloskey fight
2. The fighters were to start in
At a quarter after eight
But the nagur did not show up
And the hour was getting late
He sent around a messenger
Who then went on to say
That the Irish crowd would jump him
And he couldn’t get fair play
Then up steps Pete McCracken
And said that he would fight
Stand up or rough and tumble
If McCloskey didn’t bite?
McCloskey says I’ll go you
Then the seconds got in place
And the fighters started in
To decorate each other’s face
3. They fought like two hyenas
Till the forty-seventh round
The scattered blood enough around
By gosh, to paint the town
McCloskey got a mouthful
Of poor McCracken’s jowl
McCracken hollered “murther”
And his seconds hollered “foul”
The friends of both the fighters
That instant did begin
To fight and ate each other
The whole party started in
You couldn’t tell the difference
In the fighters if you’d try
McCracken lost his upper lip
McCloskey lost an eye
Sung here by Fred Feild: