The Auld Triangle

(Banks Of The Royal Canal)

Dick Shannon, sung by Brendan Behan, 1952

Basement tapes - may/october 1967  

A hungry feelin' came o'er me stealin'
As the mice were squeelin' in my prison cell
And that auld triangle, oh it jingle-jangle
All along the banks of the Royal Canal.

To begin the morning with the water boilin'
Get out of bed, clean up your cell
And that auld triangle goes jingle-jangle
All along the banks of the Royal Canal.

On a fine spring evenin' the loike lay dreamin'
The sea-gulls beamin' high above the wall
And that auld triangle goes jingle-jangle
All along the banks of the Royal Canal.

The screw was peepin' and the loike lay sleepin'
As he lays there weepin' for his good gal Sal
And that auld triangle play jingle-jangle
All along the banks of the Royal Canal.

In the female prison there are seventy women
And it took all of them where i'd like to dwell
And that auld triangle would go jingle-jangle
All along the banks of the Royal Canal.

Oh the day was dyin' and the loike was sighin'
As i lay cryin' in my prison cell
And that auld triangle went jingle-jangle
All along the banks of the Royal Canal.