The Reaper and Tam McCorty - The Rumjacks

Tam he woke tae find a shadow by the bed

Blamed it on the vapors still beleaguerin' his head

Scrubbed his chops & 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 & 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 & 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 & 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 & mantle I can tell

Ye willnae leave until ye’ve seen me safely intae hell

So follow me down the 'Horse & Crown' of liquor I’m sae fond

I’ll drink meself tae death & haunt the witches from beyond.»

«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 & go my way a-carving through the rye

Tam McCorty, its not your day to die.»

They drank to fallen heroes, they spat & cursed the Queen

They argued o’er 'Black Caviar' - The finest ever seen?

They smoked cigars & played at cards for pots o' Gilbeys Gin

Roarin' as the fiery liqour, it spilled all down their chin

«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 & go my way a-carving through the rye

Tam McCorty, its not your day to die.»

They staggered home along the tracks & 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 & pick it well

I’m tired o' livin' & there I think I hear the hounds o' HELL!»

«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 & go my way a-carving through the rye

Tam McCorty, its not your day to die.»

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.»

«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 & go my way a-carving through the rye

Tam McCorty, its not your day to die.»

«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 & go my way a-carving through the rye

Tam McCorty, its not your day to die

Tam McCorty, its not your day to die

Tam McCorty, its not your day to die.»