The Sick Note (Why Paddy’s Not at Work Today) Pat Cooksey
See the Lesson Plan that science teacher David Vernot created to teach about pulleys and simple machines by incorporating this song.
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The Dubliners perform Pat’s song on Milestones.
Dear Sir I write this note to you to tell you of my plight For at the time of writing I am not a pretty sight My body is all black and blue, my face a deathly grey And I write this note to say why Paddy’s not at work today.
Whilst working on the fourteenth floor,some bricks I had to clear To throw them down from such a height was not a good idea The foreman wasn’t very pleased, the bloody awkward sod He said I had to cart them down the ladders in my hod.
Now clearing all these bricks by hand, it was so very slow So I hoisted up a barrel and secured the rope below But in my haste to do the job, I was too blind to see That a barrel full of building bricks was heavier than me.
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And so when I untied the rope, the barrel fell like lead And clinging tightly to the rope I started up instead I shot up like a rocket till to my dismay I found That half way up I met the bloody barrel coming down.
Well the barrel broke my shoulder, as to the ground it sped And when I reached the top I banged the pulley with my head I clung on tightly, numb with shock, from this almighty blow And the barrel spilled out half the bricks, fourteen floors below.
Now when these bricks had fallen from the barrel to the floor I then outweighed the barrel and so started down once more Still clinging tightly to the rope, my body racked with pain When half way down, I met the bloody barrel once again.
The force of this collision, half way up the office block Caused multiple abrasions and a nasty state of shock Still clinging tightly to the rope I fell towards the ground And I landed on the broken bricks the barrel scattered round.
I lay there groaning on the ground I thought I’d passed the worst But the barrel hit the pulley wheel, and then the bottom burst A shower of bricks rained down on me, I hadn’t got a hope As I lay there bleeding on the ground, I let go the bloody rope.
The barrel then being heavier then started down once more And landed right across me as I lay upon the floor It broke three ribs, and my left arm, and I can only say That I hope you’ll understand why Paddy’s not at work today.
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The song is sung to the tune of THE GARDEN WHERE THE PRATIES GROW.
Many thanks to Pat Cooksey for permission to display the lyrics and background of this popular song. © Pat Cooksey. All rights reserved.
Pat Cooksey on the History of this Song
It is generally assumed that I based this song on Gerard Hoffnung’s wonderful address to THE OXFORD UNION in 1958. This is not correct – the recitation in a more simple form dates back to the English Music Hall’s of the 1920’s and was printed in the Readers Digest in 1937 in the form of a story. The fine Scottish singer and songwriter Dick Gaughan details some of the above on his Homepage together with comments by Sam Hinton. The song is unique in as much as it appears under such a galaxy of titles but always the same song,and it’s worldwide popularity, with over 100 recordings to date,is a wonder indeed to me when I think back to it’s humble beginnings in The Dyer’s Arms, in Coventry. I am naturally delighted that so many wonderful artist’s have recorded and performed my song over the years and I am very proud that the song has given so much pleasure to so many people,long may it continue to do so.
Alternative Titles for this Song:
1. Paddy and the Barrel 2. Paddy and the Rope 3. Paddy and the Brick’s 4. The Bricklayer’s Song 5. Murphy and the Brick’s 6. Brendan and the Brick’s 7. The Excuse Note 8. Why Paddy’s not at work Today 9. Dear Boss 10. The Barrel Song 11. The Sick Letter 12. Why Yassirs not at work Today
The above song under all alternative titles has always been and remains the sole copywright of the original writer, PAT COOKSEY. The song was composed and first performed by me in Coventry in 1969 and is registered with THE PERFORMING RIGHTS SOCIETY in London under it’s original title THE SICK NOTE and all the above alternative titles. No other Artist or Writer had any part in the writing of this song nor may any claim be made for arrangement, the song under all the above titles is performed in it’s original form,only the Title has been changed.
Source: https://t-tees.com
Category: WHY
