Sung With Enormous Success 
By Mr. John L. Hall, And Other Popular Comedians.
"When the Pigs Begin to Fly!" (circa 1840s)
New Tip-Topical Song.
Written and Composed By John F. McArdle. 
Arranged by Henry Round.

Henry Round Publication: Liverpool: W.J. Pillow.
Home & Macdonald, Lith.
[Source: 049/101@Levy]

1. I’ve got the gift of prophecy, as I will quickly show. 
The secrets of the future most infallibly I know; 
I’ll give you all a few straight tips, and I will prophecy, 
Of some strange things to happen, when the pigs begin to fly. 

CHORUS [sung after each verse]
[1-5]
When the pigs begin to fly, 
O won’t the pork be high, 
Though they are the most unlikely birds 
That ever flew in the sky, 
I sse no reason why 
They never should have a try 
[1]
Much queerer things will come to pass 
When the pigs begin to fly.
[2]
We’ll all adopt cremation 
when the pigs begin to fly.
[3]
Old  spinsters will be ministers 
when the pigs begin to fly.
[4]
They’ll only wear their natural hair 
when the pigs begin to fly.
[5]
Each female saint will never paint 
when the pigs begin to fly.

2. Some folks they want cremation, and are very much perplexed
Because they say they’d rather burn in this world than the next. 
They’re bound to make a ’ash of it, if they cremation try. 
They’ll settle this burning question when the pigs begin to fly.

3. We hear a lot of women’s wrongs and also women’s rights,
They want to wear the breeches, do the old and ugly frights, 
The rights they need are marriage rites, for Home­Rule they should try. 
We’ll send old maids to Parliament when the pigs begin to fly.

4. The force of folly and of fashion could no further go. 
You must confess that ladies’ dress at present is a show, 
With ruffs, puff, cuffs, and muffs, and stuffs dame Nature they defy, 
I do believe they’ll dress like Eve when the pigs begin to fly.

5. A day will come when ev’ry belle will dress with simple taste; 
She won’t puff out her figgure and srew in her dainty waist, 
High heels, low bodies, dressimprovers, chignons she’ll decry, 
Drop powder, puff, and all such stuff when the pigs begin to fly.