<P> "Michael Finnegan" (variant spellings include Michael Finnagen and Michael Vinnegan) is an example of an unboundedly long song, which can continue with numerous variations until the singer decides (or is forced) to stop . Like most other perpetual songs, this song tends to be sung by schoolchildren . It is a popular song often sung around a campfire or during scouting events . The origin of the words and music is unknown, but the tune bears similarity to Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush . The earliest documented reference is The Hackney Scout Song Book (Stacy & Son Ltd, 1921). It also appears in The Oxford song book, vol. 2, collected and arranged by Thomas Wood (Oxford University Press, 1927). </P>

There was a young man called michael finnegan