The Black Rats Of London lyrics

In our beautiful pursuit of manifest destiny

We give ourselves great credit, we thank the Good Lord so earnestly

But something's been omitted by the writers of history

Now stand up all unsung heroes who made this world for you and me

Night crawlers cleared the forests of seedlings, nuts and leaves

And everything everywhere dried up and the natives got the dry heaves

Mosquitoes brought malaria and bees brought their hives

And the Indians got less scarier with yellow skin and eyes

Hoorah, hooray, the black rats of London

They crossed the sea for you and me

Let's raise a glass so thankfully

Hail, hail, hooray, the black rats of London

Made the long treacherous passage to

Spread their natural juices, a gift to you, a gift to you

Parasites decimated the red army of Cornwallis and his flock

Standing weakly on Yorktown battlefield with measles and small pox

Horses, hogs, chickens and dogs and John Rolfe's prized worms

Divine intervention, bacterial strains from imported English dirt

Hoorah, hooray, the black rats of London

They crossed the sea for you and me

Let's raise a glass so thankfully

Hail, hail, hooray, the black rats of London

Made the long treacherous passage to

Spread their natural juices, a gift to you

Natural juices, yes a gift to you

Hoorah, hooray, hoorah, hooray

Hail, hail, hooray, hoorah, hooray, ray, ray, ray

Hoorah, hooray, the black rats of London

They crossed the sea for you and me

Let's raise a glass so thankfully

Hail, hail, hooray, the black rats of London

They made the long treacherous passage to

Spread their natural juices, a gift to you

The black rats of London

They crossed the sea for you and me

Let's raise a glass so thankfully

Hail, hooray, the black rats of London

Made the long treacherous passage to

Spread their natural juices, a gift to you, yes a gift to you

Pat yourself on the back, you did a great job

And the black rats of London made such a glorious, vicious mob

Sorry Rene it's just not true, paramecium's have feelings too

Where were the black rats when we needed them the most?

There were slave owners to infect

And the Joe Mengeles of the American West

• Artist:Bruce Hornsby