He was Lawless by name and lawless by nature, trouble right from the start.
hard as nails running wild thru the streets, he was breaking his poor mother’s heart.
Nature played a trick on Lawless and the humour of nature is cruel.
he grew up as we all had expected into a dangerous fool
He was a hard man a man for all seasons always out for a fight
he couldn’t hold drink but still he’d get plastered in Clarkes every Saturday night
hed strip of his vest, challenge the best ’til the guards were called to come fast
they’d lock him away for the rest of the day leave him out Sunday morning for mass
One night he went down to the Ringsend regatta where he met up with the bould Dolly Platts
She wasn’t exactly what you’d call beauty but she was the belle of our flats
a whirlwind romance and Dolly took a flier with Lawless she would settle down
twas pure coincidence 3 months before there was a Yankee destroyer in town
The couple were blessed with one of Gods miracles before 6 months had elapsed
Dolly gave birth to a 9-pound black baby and Lawless was fit to collapse
she swore she’d never been touched by another and Lawless took her at her word
and the neighbours exclaimed” he’s the spit of his father-the cuckoo is a wonderful bird
Lawless stayed in and looked after his baby while Dolly went out for the night
the auld gossips all say she was free in her ways and their evil rumours ran rife
when Lawless heard this, he waited for Dolly on the bridge where the river runs low
no-one will ever know what happened but Dolly drowned in The Dodder below.
some say he is crazy, more say he’s evil and everyone says that he’s mad.
no one will defend him, he was no angel, but I’ll you he wasn’t all bad.
They’ve locked him away for the rest of his natural never again will he see.
Down the back of Ringsend there’s a lonely child playin where the Liffey flows into the sea.