There was an old lady lived over the sea
And she was an island queen
Her daughter lived off in a new country
With an ocean of water between
The old lady's pockets were full of gold
But never contented was she
So she called on her daughter to pay her a tax
Of three pence a pound on her tea
Of three pence a pound on her tea

"Now mother dear mother," the daughter replied
"I shan't do the thing you ask.
I'm willing to pay a fair price for the tea
But never the three-penny tax."
"You shall," quoth the mother, and reddened with rage,
"For you're my own daughter, you see
And sure 'tis quite proper the daughter should pay
Her mother a tax on her tea
Her mother a tax on her tea."

And so the old lady her servant called up
And packed off a budget of tea
And eager for three pence a pound, she put in
Enough for a large family
She ordered her servants to bring home the tax
Declaring her child should obey,
Or old as she was, and almost woman grown,
She'd half whip her life away,
She'd half whip her life away.

The tea was conveyed to the daughter's door,
All down by the ocean's side;
And the bouncing girl pour'd out every pound
In the dark and boiling tide
And then she called out to the Island Queen
"Oh, mother, dear mother," quoth she
"Your tea you may have when 'tis steep'd quite enough
But never a tax from me
But never a tax from me