Burke and Hare

Chorus:
Burke and Hare were a terrible pair, their deeds were beyond belief
They worked underground in Edinburgh town, the cruelest kind of thief

Aye they stole the lives of the city's poor, the city's waifs and strays
Got them drunk and tied them tae a bunk and smothered the lives away

And in the Tanner's Close in the old Westport, those rottens had their lair
And manys a wretch from there was fetched in a box up to Surgeon's Square
For ten pounds each was the priced they reached for the contents of every box
And they denied folks lives to satisfy knives of anatomist Dr. Knox

Chorus

So sixteen souls departed this world at the hands of the villainous crew
"Well it sure beats work", says lazy bugger Burke and Hare took a similar view
But there evil ways and their drunken days, very soon were cut short
For they grew to smart and let down their guard and very soon they were caught

Chorus

Ah, but William Hare he took a terrible scare, he turned super-grass with glee
He snitched on mate and left him to his fate, while he got away Scot free
But William Burke he dangled and jerked as the hangman ended his life
And in a final twist that famed anatomist cut him up with his surgeon's knife

Chorus

For they stole the lives of the city's poor, the city's waifs and strays
Got them drunk and tied them tae a bunk and smothered the lives away
The swine, smothered the lives away