Here's a later version Christy sang on 'Live at the Point'. Quite interesting to compare the two. He seems to have found some new targets ... Why did he change the whole third verse? And who is Frank Patterson, anyway? - Susanne

Refrain
(is the same, though one of the drinks is spelt 'Smithwick' - a beer? I don't know what 'Stag' and 'Harpic' are, either.)

I dreamt a dream the other night, Jesus, I couldn't sleep a wink
The rats were tryin' to count the sheep and I was tryin' to get off the drink
There was footsteps in the parlour and voices on the stairs
And I was climbin' up the walls and I was movin' round the chairs
I looked out from under the blanket and up at the fireplace
There was the Pope and John F. Kennedy and Jack Charlton
And the three of them were starin' me in the face
And suddenly it dawned on me - by God, I'm gettin' the D.T.s
When the child of Prague began to dance
Around the mantlepiece

Well I swore upon the bible that I'd never again touch a drop
I tell you, my heart was palpitatin', I was sure it was goin' to stop
And thinking I was dying I gave my soul to God to keep
And ten pounds to St. Anthony to help me find some sleep
I fell into an awful nightmare, got a dreadful shock
When I dreamt there was no duty-free in the airport down in Knock
I dreamt Ian Paisley was sayin' the rosary
And Mother Teresa was takin' the pill
And Frank Patterson was out of his head
And by God, he was singing Spancil Hill

I dreamt I was in ecstasy in heaven, and in agony in hell
I was bored in limbo and then I was in purgatory as well
And there was original sins and venial sins and mortal sins by the score
So I tied barbed wire round my underpants and I flagellated myself on the floor
Then I dreamt I was in the confessional box and the auld bishop said to me
Any impure thoughts, my child? The fuckin' barbed wire was killing me
And then I dreamt I was in the jacuzzi
With that auld whore in no. 10
And then I knew I'd never ever
Ever drink again

One last question: Who is the Child of Prague?