For to see Mad Tom of Bedlam Ten thousand miles I traveled Mad Maudlin goes on dirty toes To save her shoes from gravel
Chorus: Still I sing bonny boys, bonny mad boys, Bedlam boys are bonny For they all go bare and they live by the air, and they all want no drink nor money
I went down to Satan's kitchen To break my fast one morning And there I got souls piping hot All on the spit a-turning
Chorus
There I took a cauldron Where boiled ten thousand harlots Though full of fame I drank the same To he health of all such varlets
Chorus
My staff has murdered giants My bag a long knife carries To cut mince pies from children's thighs For which to feed the fairies
Chorus
The moon's my constant mistress, And the lonely owl my marrow The flaming drake and the night crow make Me music to my sorrow
Chorus
The spirits white as lightening Would on my travels guide me The stars would shake and the moon would quake Whenever they espied me
Chorus
And then that I'll be moudering The Man in the Moon to the powder His staff I'll break, his dog I'll shake And there'll howl no demon louder
Chorus
The Gipsys, Snap and Pedro Are none of Tom's comradoes The pubk I scorn, and the cutpurse sowrm And the roaring boy's bravadoes
Chorus
The meek, the white, the gentle, Mu handle not nor spare not But those that cross Tom Rhinoceros (Rynosseross) Do what the panther dare not
Chorus
That of your five sound senses You never be forsaken Nor wander from your selves with Tom Abroad to beg your bacon
Chorus
I'll bark against the Dog-Star I'll crow away the morning I'll chase the Moon till it be noon And i'll make her leave her horning
Chorus
I now repent that ever Poor Tom was so disdain-ed My wits are lost since him I crossed Which makes me thus go chained
Chorus
So drink to Tom of Bedlam Go fill the seas in barrels I'll drink it all, well brewed with gall And Maudlin drunk I'll quarrel