G C G He was Lawless by name, Lawless by nature G D G G He was trouble right from the start Am D Hard as nails, runnin' wild through the streets G D He was breakin' his poor mother's heart Am D Nature played a trick on Lawless G D And the humour of nature is cruel G C G And he grew up as we all had expected him G D G Into a dangerous fool [Verse 2] G C G He was a hard man, a man for all seasons G D G G He was always out for a fight Am D He couldn't hold drink but still he'd get plastered G D In Clark's every Saturday night Am D Strip to the vest and challenge the best G D Until the guards they were called to come fast G C G And they'd lock him away for the rest of the day G D G And let him out on the Sunday for mass [Verse 3] G C G Oh one night he went down to the Ringsend Regatta G D G G Where he met up with the bould Dolly Platts Am D She wasn't exactly what you'd call beauty G D But she was the belle of her flats Am D A whirlwind romance and Dolly took a flier G D With Lawless she would settle down G C G And It was pure coincidence three months before G D G There was a yankee destroyer in town [Verse 4] G C G And the couple were blessed with one of god's miracles G D G G Before six months had elapsed Am D Dolly gave birth to a nine-pound black baby G D And Lawless was fit to collapse Am D She swore she'd never been touched by another G D And Lawless took her at her word G C G And the neighbours all say, she's the spit of her father G D G and the cuckoo is a wonderful bird.' [Verse 5] G C G Oh now Lawless stays in and looks after the family G D G G While Dolly goes out for the night Am D The old gossips all say she's free in her ways G D And its there evil rumours run rife Am D When Lawless heard this he waited for Dolly G D In the bridge where the river runs low G C G Noone will ever know what happened next G D G But Dolly drowned in the Dodder below [Verse 6] G C G Some say he's crazy and more say he's evil G D G G Everyone says that he's mad Am D Noone will defend him, he was no angel G D But I'll tell you he wasn't all bad Am D They've locked him away for the rest of his natural G D Never again will he see G Down the back of Ring's End C G There's a lonely child playing G D G Where the Liffey flows into the sea {Outro} G Down the back of Ring's End C G There's a lonely child playing G D C C C C C G Where the Liffey flows into the sea