Anne Briggs
Lyric guide

Sullivan's John

Read Sullivan's John lyrics by Anne Briggs on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.

Anne Briggs visibility1 visits Video on page
person Curated by Ethan Walker LyroVerse team
Reference snapshot

The page facts to cite before the commentary

Use this page for the lyric text, linked artist context, and any LyroVerse editor's note attached to the song. Listener comments remain user-generated and should not be treated as the primary source.

Page type: lyric reference Artist: Anne Briggs Canonical path: /anne-briggs/sullivan-s-john Related lyric paths: 6 Video embedded: yes
Lyrics

Sullivan's John

The lyric stays readable and compact here; the note and related paths sit nearby so you do not lose the song while looking for context.

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 [harness],

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.

Quick answers

What this page can answer fast

Who performs "Sullivan's John"?

Anne Briggs performs "Sullivan's John", and this lyric page sits inside the Anne Briggs catalog on LyroVerse.

Are there related songs to explore after "Sullivan's John"?

Yes. The related section below points to Fire And Wine and Living By The Water with a short reason for opening each page next.

Where can I find more songs by Anne Briggs?

Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Anne Briggs's lyric pages.

Song Room

Interpretations, questions, and corrections for this song

Interpretations, questions, memories, and correction notes live together here. The room stays noindex while the best insights are reviewed.

Open Song Room
0 followers Selected insights only surface after moderation
Listener comments

What people are saying

0 comments
Add a short interpretation or memory

A strong comment here is specific: the phrase you keep hearing, the mood you come back for, or the reason this song stays in rotation.

Sign in to post the first listener note. Reporting stays open to everyone.

No listener comments on Sullivan's John yet.