Jack & The Beanstock
The Irish Rovers Lyrics


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near to the town of Peppermint Down lived a boy by the name of Jack
He lived with his ma' and an old brown car
In a poor old tumbled down shack
Well the car was all they ever owned and one eventual day
A peddler gave him magic beans so Jack sold the car away.
(A peddler gave him magic beans so Jack sold the car away.)

Well Jack's ma' screamed and sent him to bed when she found that the car was gone
And Jack in disgust threw his beans away but when he awoke at dawn
Out in the yard was strangeful site that filled him with surprise.
For a beanstalk grew from the magic beans, that went up through the clouds in the sky.
(a beanstalk grew from the magic beans, that went up through the clouds in the sky.)

"ah well" said Jack, "this is some fine sight. I wonder where it goes"
And the brave little man started to climb high up where the cold wind blows
Well he passed the birds, he passed the clouds, he passed the moon and stars
'Til there at the top a castle stood with a million windows and towers.
(there at the top a castle stood with a million windows and towers.)

Well he found a hen with golden eggs and a harp that talked for fun
But he woke the giant from his sleep, and Jack began to run
Fe-fi-fo-fum I smell an Irishman
He's got my harp and my little hen
I'll make a snack out of him
(He's got my harp and my little hen, I'll make a snack of him)

Well as we all know, the bigger they are, the harder they have to fall
So don't be sad if you're not too tough, for it's sometimes good to be small
For Jack came down as quick as wink, as the giant was heavy and tall.




And he made a hole in Jack's backyard, Jack lived quite rich after-all.
(he made a hole in Jack's backyard, Jack lived quite rich after-all.)

Overall Meaning

The Irish Rovers's song "Jack & The Beanstalk" tells the story of a young boy, Jack, who lives in a poor, run-down shack with his mother near the town of Peppermint Down. The only possession they had was an old brown car. One day, a peddler came to Jack and gave him a handful of magic beans in exchange for the car. Jack's mother was infuriated and sent Jack to bed when she discovered that the car was gone. Jack, frustrated and disappointed, threw the beans out of the window. The next morning, Jack woke up to find a magnificent beanstalk that had grown in the yard, reaching up to the clouds.


Jack is curious about where the beanstalk leads and decides to climb it. As he climbs higher and higher, he passes the birds, clouds, moon, and stars. Finally, he reaches a castle with a million windows and towers. Jack discovers a hen with golden eggs and a talking harp, but unfortunately, awakens the giant who has been asleep. The giant smells an Irishman (Jack) and is determined to catch and eat him. Jack outsmarts the giant and manages to escape, causing the giant to fall to his death. Jack returns to the ground, making himself rich by using the giant's wealth.


Line by Line Meaning

near to the town of Peppermint Down lived a boy by the name of Jack
Jack lived near the town of Peppermint Down


He lived with his ma' and an old brown car
Jack lived in a poor old shack with his mother and an old broken-down car as their only possession


In a poor old tumbled-down shack
Jack and his mother lived in a run-down shack


Well, the car was all they ever owned and one eventual day, A peddler gave him magic beans so Jack sold the car away.
One day, a peddler gave Jack magic beans in exchange for their old car.


Well Jack's ma' screamed and sent him to bed when she found that the car was gone, And Jack in disgust threw his beans away but when he awoke at dawn
When Jack's mother found out about the missing car, she was angry and sent him to bed. Jack also threw away the magic beans but didn't realize their true value until the next morning.


Out in the yard was a strangeful site that filled him with surprise. For a beanstalk grew from the magic beans, that went up through the clouds in the sky.
Jack woke up to find a giant beanstalk that grew from the magic beans he had thrown away, and it led up into the clouds.


'Ah well' said Jack, 'this is some fine sight. I wonder where it goes', And the brave little man started to climb high up where the cold wind blows
Curious about where the beanstalk led, Jack decided to climb it despite the risks.


Well he passed the birds, he passed the clouds, he passed the moon and stars, 'Til there at the top a castle stood with a million windows and towers.
Jack climbed past the birds, clouds, and even the moon and stars until he reached the top of the beanstalk, where he saw a magnificent castle with many windows and towers.


Well he found a hen with golden eggs and a harp that talked for fun, But he woke the giant from his sleep, and Jack began to run
Jack found a hen that laid golden eggs and a talking harp in the castle, but he startled the sleeping giant and had to run for his life.


Fe-fi-fo-fum I smell an Irishman, He's got my harp and my little hen, I'll make a snack out of him
The giant smelled Jack, who he knew was Irish, and realized that he had taken his harp and hen. The giant threatened to eat Jack.


(He's got my harp and my little hen, I'll make a snack of him)
The giant repeated his intention to eat Jack for taking his harp and hen.


Well, as we all know, the bigger they are, the harder they have to fall, So don't be sad if you're not too tough, for it's sometimes good to be small
Despite the giant's size and strength, Jack managed to defeat him. This shows that being small and agile can also be an advantage in some situations.


For Jack came down as quick as a wink, as the giant was heavy and tall, And he made a hole in Jack's backyard, Jack lived quite rich after-all.
Jack quickly climbed down the beanstalk and cut it down, causing the giant to fall to his death. Jack inherited the giant's treasure and lived a wealthy life thereafter.




Contributed by Jasmine W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Ian Burt


on Bluenose

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