Am It was a grand upstanding bantam cock, Am So brisk and stiff and spry, G F Em With springy step and jaunty plume E Am And a purposeful look in his eye, E Am In his little black blinking eye, he had. Am I took him to the coop and introduced him Am To my seventeen wide-eyed hens. G F Em He tupped and he tupped as a hero tups E Am And he bowed from the waist to them all, and then E Am He upped and he tupped 'em all again, he did. Am And then upon the peace of me ducks and me geese Am He rudely did intrude. G F Em With glazed emyes and open mouths E Am They bore it all with fortitude E Am And a little bit of gratitude, they did. Am He jumped my giggling guinea fowl Am And forced his attentions upon G F Em My twenty hysterical turkeys and E Am A visiting migrant swan. E Am But the bantam thundered on, he did. Am He ravished my fan-tailed pigeons and Am Me lily-white columbines, G F Em And while I was locking up the budgerigar E Am He jumped my parrot from behind; E Am She was sitting on me shoulder at the time. Am And all of a sudden with a gasp and a gulp Am He clapped his hands to his head, G F EM Fell flat on his back with his toes in the air. E Am My bantam cock lay dead E Am And the vultures circled overhead, they did. Am What a champion brute; what a noble cock; Am What a way to live and to die. G F Em I was diggin' him a grave to save his bones E Am From the hungry buzzards in the sky E Am When the bantam opened up a sly little eye. Am He gave me a grin and a terrible wink Am The way that roosters do. G F Em He said, 'You see them big daft buggers up there? E Am They'll be down in a minute or two; E Am They'll be down in a minute or two.'
