The song was written by a computer programmer called Stan Bootle
(under his pseudonym, Stan Kelly) and Leon Rosselson.

Stan Kelly made an extended play 45 rpm record for Topic many
years ago, and he was accompanied on accordion by Rosselson, who
is better known for his political and satirical songs.

These are the words as sung by Luke Kelly and the Dubliners -

Chorus:- I wish I were back in Liverpool
Liverpool town, where I was born
Where there ain't no trees, no scented breeze
No fields of waving corn
But there's lots of girls with peroxide curls
And the black and tan flows free
There's six in a bed by the old Pier Head
And it's Liverpool town for me.

'Tis seven long years since I wandered away
To sail the wide world o'er
Me very first trip on an oul steamship
That was bound for Baltimore
I was seven days sick, and I just couldn't stick
That bobbin' up and down
So I told them, Jack, you'd better turn back
For dear old Liverpool town.

We dug the Mersey Tunnel, boys
Way back in '33
Dug a hole in the ground until we found
An 'ole called Wallasey
Then the foreman cried, "Come on outside,
The roof has fallen down."
Well I'm telling you, Jack, we all swam back
To dear old Liverpool town.

There's every race and colour of face
There's every kind of name
But the pigeons on the Pier Head
They treat you all the same
And if you walk up Upper Parliament Street
You'll get faces black and brown
And I've also seen them orange and green
In dear old Liverpool town.