When I was a little boy, little boy, little boy,
When I was a little boy, twelve years old,
Papa went an' left me, left me, left me,

Papa went an' left me, to save my soul.
Ha-ha, this-a-way, ha-ha, that-a-way!
Ha-ha, this-a-way, then, oh, then.

Mamma come an' got me, got me, got me,
Mamma come an' got me, to save my soul.
Mamma didn't whiff me whiff me, whiff me,

Mamma didn't whiff me, so I was tol'.
Ha-ha, this-a-way, ha-ha, that-a-way!
Ha-ha, this-a-way, then, oh, then.

Papa drinked whisky, whisky, whisky,
Papa drinked whisky, so I was tol'.
Mamma was frisky, frisky, frisky,

Mamma was frisky, so I was tol'.
Ha-ha, this-a-way, ha-ha, that-a-way!
Ha-ha, this-a-way, then, oh, then.

I went to school, went to school, went to school, boys,
I went to school when I was twelve years old;
Obeyed the rules, the rules, the rules, boys.

Obeyed the rules as I was tol'.
Ha-ha, this-a-way, ha-ha, that-a-way!
Ha-ha, this-a-way, then, oh, then.

Learned my lessin, lessins, lessins,
Learned my lessin, as I was tol',
Wasn't that a blessin', blessin', blessin'?

Wasn't that a blessin', to save my soul.
Ha-ha, this-a-way, ha-ha, that-a-way!
Ha-ha, this-a-way, then, oh, then.

Liked my teacher, teacher, teacher,
Liked my teacher, as I was tol';
Prayed like a preacher, preacher, preacher,

Prayed like a preacher, to save my soul.
Ha-ha, this-a-way, ha-ha, that-a-way!
Ha-ha, this-a-way, then, oh, then.

I went to school, went to school, went to school, boys,
I went to school when I was twelve years old;
Teacher didn' whiff me, whiff me, whiff me,

Teacher didn' whiff me, to save my soul.
Ha-ha, this-a-way, ha-ha, that-a-way!
Ha-ha, this-a-way, then, oh, then.