Michael Finnegan

Here is a song just about guaranteed to annoy everyone around you, because it repeats the same verse over and over and is extremely contagious.

This song was first documented in 1927, but is probably older than that.

Wikipedia calls this an example of an unboundedly long song, "which can continue with numerous variations until the singer decides (or is forced) to stop", in the manner of "The Wheels on the Bus" and "There's a Hole in the Bucket".



There once was a man named Michael Finnegan,
He grew whiskers on his chinnegan,
Shaved them off and they grew back innegan,
Poor old Michael Finnegan.
(Beginnegan).

Here it is with chords and a key change:

There [D]once was a man named Michael Finnegan,
[A7]He grew whiskers on his chinnegan,
[D]Shaved them off and they grew back innegan,
[A7]Poor old Michael [D]Finnegan.
([B-flat]Be-[D]ginnegan).

There [E-flat]once was a man named Michael Finnegan,
[B-flat 7]He grew whiskers on his chinnegan,
[E-flat]Shaved them off and they grew back innegan,
[B-flat 7]Poor old Michael [E-flat]Finnegan.
([D]Be-[E-flat]ginnagen).

Forty years on an iceberg

Forty years on an iceberg [triangular "iceberg" shape],
over the ocean wide [wavy motion].
Nothing to wear but jammys [slide hands up and down the sides of your body],
nothing to do but slide ["slide" motion].
Woo!
The air was cold and icy [shiver!]
the frost began to bite [nipping motion].
I had to hug a polar bear [hug yourself or neighbor]
to keep me warm at night.
Oh!

Repeat over and over, but on the second repeat, hum the first line; on the third repeat, hum the first and second lines, and so on. "Woo!" and "Oh!" are always sung. On the very last repeat, sing all the words.

"Three chartreuse buzzards"

This song has more drama than tune, but should be sung rather dryly.

Three [hold up 3 fingers] chartreuse buzzards [hunch shoulders, look mean]
Sitting in a dead tree [arms out like gnarled branches, head off to side]
OH look [shade eyes with hand]
One has flown A-way [point to distance]
What A shame [one hand at forehead in dramatic gesture]
Darn.

Two chartreuse buzzards ....
One chartreuse buzzard ....

No chartreuse buzzards [hunch shoulders, look mean]
Sitting in a dead tree [arms out like gnarled branches, head off to side]
OH, look [shade eyes with hand]
One has RE-turned [beckoning motion]
Let us RE-joice [arms up in joy]
Yay.

One chartreuse buzzard ....
Two chartreuse buzzards ....

Three chartreuse buzzards [hunch shoulders, look mean]
Sitting in a dead tree [arms out like gnarled branches, head off to side]
Now they're ALL here [arms spread]
This is THE end ["end" motion]
Yay.

"Ja-Da"

"There's a hole in the bucket"

"There's a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza,
There's a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, a hole."

"Then fix it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
Then fix it, dear Henry, dear Henry, the hole."

"With what shall I fix it, dear Liza, dear Liza?
With what shall I fix it, dear Liza, with what?"

"With a straw, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
With a straw, dear Henry, dear Henry, a straw."

"The straw is too long, dear Liza, dear Liza,
The straw is too long, dear Liza, too long."

"Then cut it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
Then cut it, dear Henry, dear Henry, the straw."

"With what shall I cut it, dear Liza, dear Liza?
With what shall I cut it, dear Liza, with what?"

"With an axe, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
With an axe, dear Henry, dear Henry, an axe."

"The axe is too dull, dear Liza, dear Liza,
The axe is too dull, dear Liza, too dull."

"Then sharpen it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
Then sharpen it, dear Henry, dear Henry, the axe."

"With what shall I sharpen it, dear Liza, dear Liza?
With what shall I sharpen it, dear Liza, with what?"

"With a stone, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
With a stone, dear Henry, dear Henry, a stone."

"The stone is too dry, dear Liza, dear Liza,
The stone is too dry, dear Liza, too dry."

"Then wet it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
Then wet it, dear Henry, dear Henry, the stone."

"With what shall I wet it, dear Liza, dear Liza?
With what shall I wet it, dear Liza, with what?"

"Try water, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
Try water, dear Henry, dear Henry, try water."

"From where shall I get it, dear Liza, dear Liza?
From where shall I get it, dear Liza, from where?"

"From the well, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
From the well, dear Henry, dear Henry, the well."

"In what shall I fetch it, dear Liza, dear Liza?
In what shall I fetch it, dear Liza, in what?"

"In a bucket, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
In a bucket, dear Henry, dear Henry, in a bucket."

"There's a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza,
There's a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, a hole."

(Chords: D – G – D – G – A7 - D)

Here's one rendition of this classic silly song, by Harry Belafonte and Odetta: