I'm Knox a famous surgeon
and I earn my daily bread

by studying cadavers
which are bodies not long dead
one day two suave young gentlemen

appeared within my view
I'm Mr Burke, I'm Mr Hare
how do you do?

these gents explained that their
acquaintance had just passed away
it seemed the body'd only been

a goner for a day
excuse the curious offer
said Hare or was it Burke?

but would you care to slice this up
to see how corpses work?
well it's always a palaver

getting hold of a cadaver
so i said yes i'll ahve her
oh, it's a he!


this body taught me much about
what makes a person poorly

why some men live to 99
and some die prematurely
how these thing function perfectly

and others won't repair
how everything is, interlinked
oh what's that doing there?


'til one day there was nothing left
and all my work was spent

then Burke and Hare turned up again
my, how convenient!
another slab of fresh

human organs, bone and flesh
another gory sesh, excellent news
(laughs evilly)


as time went on these kind men
brought me several guys and gals

my lab was choca-block
with all their freshly passed on pals
I paid them lots of money

bodies came from everywhere
u really are a busy Mr Burke
and Mr Hare


they seemed such cultured gentlemen
I never did suspect

that Burke and Hare were not so nice
I really should have checked
then one day a policeman came

asked if I've seen a chap
i hadn't, but days later
his corpses turned up in my lap


it seemed that these acquaintances
of Burke and Hare actually

were not their friends and
did not always die naturally
Burke and Hare had murdered them

it was plain to see
then brought the corpses to my lab
and pocketed the fee


the two men were arrested
but one of them set free

poor Burke was hanged
but happily his corpse was sent to me
oh bit wiffy!

still much to learn