A E A When first I came to London in the year of 'thirty-nine DAE The city looked so wonderful and the girls were so divine DAD But the coppers got suspicious and they soon gave me the knock AEA I was charged with being the owner of an old alarm clock
A E A Oh next morning down by Marlborough Street I caused no little stir D A E The IRA were busy and the telephones did purr D A D Said the judge, I'm going to charge you with the possession of this machine A E A And I'm also going to charge you with the wearing of the green
A E A Says I to him , Your Honour, if you'll give me half a chance D A E I'll show you how my small machine can make the peelers dance D A D It ticks away politely till you get an awful shock A E A And it ticks away the gelignite in my old alarm clock
A E A Said the judge, Now listen here, my man, and I'll tell you of our plan D A E For you and all your countrymen I do not give a damn D A D The only time you'll take is mine - ten years in Dartmoor dock A E A And you can count it by the ticking of your old alarm clock
A E A Now this lonely Dartmoor city would put many in the jigs D A E The cell it isn't pretty and it isn't very big D A D Sure I'd long ago have left the place if I had only got A E A My couple of sticks of gelignite and my ol alarm clock