last night as i lay dreamin of pleasant days gone by me mind bein bent on rambling to ireland i did fly i stepped on board a vision and i followed with the wind till first i came to anchor at the cross at spancil hill it being the 23rd of june the day before the fair where ireland s sons and daughters and friends assembled there the young the old the brave and the bold came their duty to fulfill at the parish church near clooney a mile from spancil hill i went to see my neighbours to see what they might say the old ones were all dead and gone the young ones turning grey i met the tailor quigley he s as bold as ever still he used to mend my britches when i lived in spancil hill i took a flying visit to my one and only love she s as white as any lily as gentle as a dove she threw her arms around me saying johnny i love you still she is nell the farmer s daughter the pride of spancil hill i dreamt i held and kissed her as in the days of old saying johnny you re only joking as many s the time before but the cock he crew in the morning he crew both loud and shrill i awoke in california many miles from spancil hill