Irish Song Lyrics 
from www.traditionalmusic.co.uk 
Sick Note, The Pat Cooksey 
Dear Sir, I write this note to you to tell you of me plight And at the time of writing I am not a pretty sight Me body is all black and blue, me face a deathly gray And I write this note to say why Paddy's not at work today 
While working on the fourteenth floor some bricks I had to clear Now to throw them down from such a height it was not a good idea The foreman wasn't very pleased, he bein' an awkward sod He said I'd have to cart them down the ladders in me 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 me haste to do the job I was too blind to see That a barrel full of building bricks was heavier than me 
So when I untied the rope the barrel fell like lead And clinging tightly to the rope I started up instead Well, I shot up like a rocket 'til to my dismay I found That halfway up I met the bloody barrel coming down 
Well, the barrel broke me shoulder as to the ground it sped And when I reached the top I banged the pulley with me head While I clung on tight all 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 I sped towards the ground And I landed on the broken bricks that were all scattered round 
Well, I laid there groaning on the ground I thought I'd passed the worst When the barrel hit the pulley wheel and then the bottom burst Well, a shower of bricks rained down on me, I hadn't got a hope As I lay there moaning on the ground, I let go the bloody rope 
The barrel then being heavier it started down once more And landed right across me as I lay upon the floor Well 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