Have you heard about the big strong man?
He lived in a caravan
Have you heard about the Jeffries-Johnson fight?
Oh, what a hell of a fight
You can take all the heavyweights you got
We've got a lad who will beat the whole lot
He used to ring the bells in the belfry, now he's gonna fight
Jack Dempsey

[Chorus]
He was my brother Sylvest
(What's he got?)
A row of forty medals on his chest, big chest
Killed fifty badmen in the West
He knows no rest
Bigger the man, hell's fire
Don't push, just shove, plenty of room for you and me

He's got an arm like a leg
And a punch that would sink a battleship, big ship
Takes all the army and the navy
To put the wind up Sylvest

Well, he thought he'd take a trip to Italy
And he thought that he'd go by sea
He jumped off the harbour in New York
And he swam like a man made of cork
He saw the Lusitania in distress (What'd he do?)
He put the Lusitania on his chest, big chest
Drank all the water in the sea
And he walked all the way to Italy
[Chorus]
That was my brother Sylvest (What's he got?)
A row of forty medals on his chest, big chest
Killed fifty badmen in the west
He knows no rest
Bigger the man, hell's fire
Don't push, just shove, plenty of room for you and me

Well he thought he'd take a trip to old Japan
And they turned out the whole brass band
He played every instrument they got
Like a lad, sure he beat the whole lot
Now the old church bells will ring
(Hell's bells!)
The old church choir will sing
(Hell's choir!)
They all turned out to say farewell
To my big brother Sylvest

[Chorus]
That was my brother Sylvest (What's he got?)
A row of forty medals on his chest, big chest
Killed fifty badmen in the west
He knows no rest
Bigger the man, hell's fire
Don't push, just shove, plenty of room for you and me
He's got an arm like a leg
And a punch that would sink a battleship, big ship
Takes all the army and the navy
To put the wind up Sylvest