Patron Saint O' Thieves

(album: Sleepin' Rough - 2016)

Auld Nick patron saint o thieves, murderers and sailors
Strike these shackles from me uh-huh
Slide the bolt from out the door and tear down all the wire
My baby's growing cold and I'm on fire

The wind that whistles off the hills and carries her perfume
Carries too a lonely carol badly out of tune
For just tonight beyond these walls I'd lay a mountain low
And sing to her like only I know how

They don't hang no fairy lights these rusty iron bars
So I'll burn a paper lamp for her to see
Though she's left like a widow of a war that never was
There's a light still burns in me

Auld Nick patron saint o' merchants, pawnmen and the judges
Who barter with the lives o men the battlers and the bludgers
Go haunt the dogs awhile they sleep and thrash em round to sense
There's too many good boys this side of the fence

They don't hang no fairy lights these rusty iron bars
So I'll burn a paper lamp for her to see
Though she's left like a widow of a war that never was
There's a light still burns in me

There's boys in here for lifting gear from non-be-wary strangers
Newly minted ner-do-wells and them born with the dangers
For living less than fruitful lives, topping less than faithful wives
A broken line o' fools that span the ages

They don't hang no fairy lights these rusty iron bars
So I'll burn a paper lamp for her to see
Though she's left like a widow of a war that never was
There's a light still burns in me

Auld Nick patron saint o' fools from both sides of the law
For his sake wipe the dirty grin off that fat bastards jaw
For we're lovers of tradition and we might yet find a way
To hold them bloody keys come Boxing Day

They don't hang no fairy lights these rusty iron bars
So I'll burn a paper lamp for her to see
Though she's left like a widow of a war that never was
There's a light still burns in me

They don't hang no fairy lights these rusty iron bars
So I'll burn a paper lamp for her to see
Though she's left like a widow of a war that never was
There's a light still burns in me

Burn it, boys!