I got a desperate message from Mmario last week, looking for this tune. He says Noreen sent the tune to me, but I may have lost it when I switched computers. So I transcribed it. Please don't beat me too severely, MMario and Noreen. Heck, I even found some additional lyrics.

Here goes:

MICHAEL FINNIGIN

There was an old man named Michael Finnigin
He had whiskers on his chinigin
The wind came up and blew them in ag'in
Poor old Michael Finnigin
Begin ag'in

There was an old man named Michael Finnigin
He got drunk through drinking ginigin
That's who he wasted all his tinnigin
Poor old Michael Finnigin
Begin ag'in

There was an old man named Michael Finnigin
He grew fat and then grew thin ag'in
then he died, and had to begin ag'in
Poor old Michael, please don't
Begin ag'in

Source: 1002: The Complete Children's Songbook (Hansen House, 1975, 1986)

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Click to play

(the tune is my adaptation of what I found in the two songbooks, since I didn't like either one completely)

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Here's what Norman Cazden has:

MICHAEL FINNIGIN

There once was a man named Michael Finnigin,
He grew whiskers on his chinnigin,
The wind came up and blew them innigin,
Poor old Michael Finnigin. (Beginnigin)

There once was a man named Michael Finnigin,
He got drunk from too much ginnigin
So he wasted all this tinnigin,
Poor old Michael Finnigin. (Beginnigin)

There once was a man named Michael Finnigin,
He went fishing with a pinnigin,
Caught a fish but he dropped it innigin,
Poor old Michael Finnigin. (Beginnigin)

There once was a man named Michael Finnigin,
Climbed a tree and barked his shinnigin,
Took off several yards of skinnigin,
Poor old Michael Finnigin. (Begirinigin)

There once was a man named Michael Finnigin,
He kicked up an awful dinnigin
Because they said he must not sinnigin,
Poor old Michael Finnigin. (Beginnigin)

There once was a man named Michael Finnigin,
He grew fat and he grew thinnigin,
Then he died, and we have to beginnigin,
Poor old Michael Finnigin. (Beginnigin)

New words and music by Norman Cazden
Source: Merry Ditties (Norman Cazden, 1958)

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Any other versions/verses?

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There's even an entry in the Traditional Ballad Index:

Michael Finnegan

DESCRIPTION: Of the exploits of Michael Finnegan, constantly urged to "begin again" after a variety of escapades such as the wind blowing his whiskers back into his chin, or growing fat and then growing thin
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1923 (Camp Clavell and Girl Reserve Club Songs)
KEYWORDS: nonballad nonsense humorous campsong
FOUND IN: US(MW) New Zealand
REFERENCES (7 citations):
Sutton-Smith-NZ-GamesOfNewZealandChilden/FolkgamesOfChildren, p. 134, "(Little Michael Finnigan)" (1 text)
Brophy/Partridge-TommiesSongsAndSlang, p. 66, "Michael Finnigan" (1 short text)
Silber/Silber-FolksingersWordbook, p. 242, "Michael Finnigan" (1 text)
Pankake/Pankake-PrairieHomeCompanionFolkSongBook, p. 201, "Michael Finnigan" (1 text, 1 tune)
Averill-CampSongsFolkSongs, pp. 132, 255, 259, 390-391, 415, "Michael Finnigan" (notes only)
BoyScoutSongbook1997, p. 41, "Michael Finnegan" (1 text, 1 tune)
DT, MIKFINEG
Roud #10541
RECORDINGS:
Pete Seeger et al, "Finnegan Beginigin" (on PeteSeeger11)
NOTES [38 words]: It perhaps says something about the American education system that this song was forced upon me in grade school, but the schools would never have even contemplated a serious ballad with something resembling actual content.... - RBW
Last updated in version 6.3
File: FSWB242B

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