Mercard taught the leathered looking king
Plugged in his amplifier and began to sing
And Henry Grattan standing in the rain again
Down on Dawson street waiting for a number ten
To take him to donnybrook fair
He’s got some business to do there
Oh it is possible to do anything
Dance among the queens
Or play chess with the high king
Thomas Wentworth standing underneath a silken sail
Turns to the unicorn and asks him how he’s failed
And Deirdre of the sorrows catching crabs on the seashore
Turns to the unicorn and asks him what he’s for
Well I’m for Donnybrook fair
When I’ll get the time I’ll see you there
Pick a golden apple from the heart of the sun
I can assure you that it is very easily done
Joseph married Lancard with a sword in his right hand
Walking to the GPO to play with the band
And Patrick Pearse comes squinting through 1916
Turns to the unicorn and asks him how he’s been
Well I’ve been down In Donnybrook fair
How come I didn’t see you there?
Oh it is possible to do anything
Dance among the queens
Or play chess with the high king
The mighty cretin show-band led the pike-men from the rear
And nobody sees the unicorn quietly standing there
And the long-faced leading singer tries to imitate Jim Reeves
Ah the unicorn just shakes his head but has fobbed a waste at least
He’s gone down to Donnybrook fair
When I get the time I’ll see him there
Pick a golden apple from the heart of the sun
I can assure you that it is very easily done
But the marquis and me, in cloud-stepping shoes
We danced away wherever we choose
All good people you must stay together
Rainbow skirt and the broken feathers
Stay down in Donnybrook fair
When I’ll get the time I’ll see you there
The mocking bird has come to sale
He wants to blow your heads away
The king of love my shepherd is whose goodness faileth never
I nothing lack if I am his and he is mine forever
Where streams of living water flow
My ransom soul, he leadeth
And where the verdant pastures grow
With fruit celestial feedeth
What will you have?
Will you have a pint?
I’ll have a pint with you, sir
And if somebody doesn’t order soon,
We’ll be thrown out of the boozer
And so through all the length of days
My goodness faileth never
Good shepherd, may I sing thy praise
Within thy heist forever
The king of love, my shepherd, is whose goodness faileth never
I nothing lack, if I am his and he is mine forever
Amen
It's about being Irish in ther 1960s and the weight of nationalist history bearing down. The Stranglies were Trinity College lads with a different take on the revolution of 1916. So it celebrates being Irish but takes a pop at the worship of revolutionary heros, Grattan, Wentworth, Plunkett and Pearce. The line about Pearce's squint got them into trouble. BTW whoever transcribed the lyrics misheard the start of the third verse, which is actually: "Thomas Mary Plunkett with a sword in his right hand ..."
I think "The Unicorn" is the UK but I could be reading too much into that!