My son John was tall and slim
And he had a leg for every limb.
But now he's got no legs at all,
For [bad word] a race with a cannonball.
    With me roo dum ra, faddle riddle da
   Whack faddle riddle with me roo dum ra

“Oh were you deaf, were you blind
When you left your two fine legs behind?
Or was it sailing on the sea
With your two fine legs right down to the knee?”

“I was not deaf, I was not blind
When I left my two fine legs behind,
Nor was it sailing on the sea
With my two fine legs right down to the knee.

“For I was tall, I was slim,
I had a leg for every limb,
But now I've got no legs at all,
They were both shot away by a cannonball.”