Christy Moore and Wally Page
Zozimus was singing the Pharoah’s daughter
As Me and Valerie we left O’Donoghue’s
On Butt Bridge we crossed the River Liffey
Down along the North Wall we joined the queue
There was Hippies there and Lurchers from Dunmanway
Flash Harrys down from Killiney Hill
Quare Hawks in Limousines and Helicopters
To hear Zimmerman the King of Vaudeville
The lights went down and the crowd went cat melodeon
We were all revved up and ready to engage
Having hitch hiked all the way from Minnesota
Zimmerman was there before us on the stage
He made his way to the piano
One by one the Band began to play
When he laid his fingers down upon the keyboard
He opened up with Lay Lady Lay
Homesick Subterranean
Hard Rain Gonna Fall When the Boat Comes In
Black Diamond Bay
The Dirge and The Hurricane
Hattie Carroll and Hollis Brown
Summer Days Forever Young
St. Augustine Maggie’s Farm
And Like a Rolling Stone
Some old singers rest upon their laurels
Some old hoofers hang up their dancing shoes
But when Kings and Queens and Laureates came calling
Zimmerman still had lots of gigs to do
He’s up there now blowing hard upon his Hohner
Zozimus and Zimmerman were born to sing
Like two old buskers down at Puck Fair in Killorglin
Two old tanglers at the Fair of Spancilhill
We’ve been attending Zimmerman gigs for over 40 years. We’ve been singing Zozimus songs even longer. Valerie and I have long since followed Bob whenever given the opportunity. Nights at the National Stadium, RDS, The Point, Vicar Street, Slane, Kilkenny, Finsbury Park come to mind, but best of all was that night in Slattery’s of Capel Street, Dublin when he got up and played with Myself and Wally. Disguised in his suit of Pearly King, no one recognized him nor realised the significance of the moment. He’s been on our case ever since. You can’t get too much of a good thing. Last time he busted his skull off a gable wall at the end of a top shelf stagger.
Zozimus – Michael J. Moran (c.1794-3 April 1846), popularly known as Zozimus, was an Irish street singer.from The Liberties. He wrote, among others: “Praise of Poitín”, “The Twangman”, “Finding of Moses”, “Pharoah’s Daughter”, “The Night Before Larry was Stretched”, “St. Patrick Was a Gentleman” (this list is neither precise nor complete). We await correction. Zimmerman, Song and Dance Man (still delivering the goods) “Whack Fol de Diddle”, “Ar Fol de Dol Doh”, “Toora Loora Loo”, and “Wid Me Toorim Minya” etc.