The Bricklayer’s Song

Okay, here's a song about an Irishman who had a little bad luck

And I've been told this is a true story

Dear sir, I write this note to you to tell you of me plight

For at the time of writing, I am not a pretty sight

Me body is all black and blue, me face a deathly grey

And I write this note to tell you why I'm not at work today

While working on the fourteenth floor, some bricks I had to clear

But to toss them down from such a height was not a good idea

The foreman wasn't very pleased, he is an awkward sod

He said I'd have to cart them down the ladders in me hod

Now shifting all those bricks by hand, it was so very slow

So I hoisted up a barrel and secured a rope below

But in me haste to do the job, I was too blind to see

That a barrel full of building bricks is heavier than me

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 'til to my dismay, I found

That halfway up I met the bloody barrel coming down

Now the barrel broke me shoulder as to the ground, it sped

And when I reached the top, I banged the pulley with me 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, me body wracked with pain

Halfway down, I met the bloody barrel once again

Now the force of this collision halfway down the office block

Caused multiple contusions and a nasty state of shock

Still clinging tightly to the rope, I fell toward the ground

And landed on the broken bricks the barrel had scattered round

Well, 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 didn't have a hope

For as I lay there bleeding, I let go the bloody rope

The barrel being unsecured, then started down once more

And it landed right across me as I lay there on the floor

It broke three ribs and my left arm and I can only say

That I hope you'll understand why Murphy's not at work today