LYRICS:

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 have 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.

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.
You 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!