Here are the complete lyrics:


ISN'T IT GRAND, BOYS
As sung by the Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem on "Reunion" (1984).

1. Look at the coffin with golden handles.

CHORUS: Isn't it grand, boys, to be bloody well dead?
Let's not have a sniffle; let's have a bloody good cry.
And always remember, the longer ya live, the sooner ya bloody well die.

2. Look at the flowers, all bloody withered.

3. Look at the mourners, bloody great hypocrites.

4. Look at the preacher, bloody sanctimonious.*

5. Now look at the widow, bloody great female.


* These subsequent albums have "a bloody nice fella":
1992 "Luck of the Irish"
1995 "Ain't It Grand Boys: Unissued Gems"
2001 "The Best of the Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem"
2005 "Live in Concert"

The only other variation I noticed is that sometimes verses 2 and 3 are switched.

I listened to all these albums on Spotify, and none of them matches the lyrics in the DT. This line sounds especially dubious:

"Look at the choir boys, bloody young faggots"

I wouldn't sing that, and I doubt the Clancys did.