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Sullivan’s John Lyrics by Anne Briggs

Sing a Song for You

1996

Sullivan's John, to the road you've gone
Far away from your native home
You've gone with a tinker's daughter
For along the road to roam

Sullivan's John, you won't stick it long
Your belly will soon get slack
You'll be roaming the road with a mighty load
And a tooten box on your back

I met Katy Coffey, she'd her neat baby
Tossed behind on her back strapped on
She'd an old ash plant all in her hand
To drive her donkey along

Enquiring at every farmer's house
That along the road she passed
Oh it's where would she get an old pot to mend?
Or where would she swap an ass?

I heard of a fair in the County Clare
At a place call Spancil Hill
Where my brother James got a rap of the hames
Poor Paddy they tried to kill

They loaded him up on an ass and cart
While Pat and Mary looked on
Oh, bad luck to the day that I went away
To join a tinker's band

Sullivan's John, to the road you've gone
Far away from your native home
You've gone with a tinker's daughter
For along the road to roam

Sullivan's John, you won't stick it long
Your belly will soon get slack
You'll be roaming the road with a mighty load
And a tooten box on your back

About “Sullivan’s John” by Anne Briggs

Read the complete lyrics to "Sullivan’s John" by Anne Briggs from the album "Sing a Song for You " in 1996. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Pop.

"Sullivan’s John" is performed by Anne Briggs. from the album "Sing a Song for You " in 1996 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Sullivan’s John", explore more songs by Anne Briggs using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for Anne Briggs · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"Sullivan’s John" is credited to Anne Briggs. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Sullivan’s John" appears on "Sing a Song for You " in 1996.

Visit the Anne Briggs artist page at /artist/anne-briggs for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.


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