THE CHURCH ROAD 1970 (Paul and Gerard O’Brien)

A song I wrote with my brother Gerry during a weekend visit to play some of my songs in East Wall. I met "Paddy the butcher" and he told me that he had been sick for two days and had missed his chance to rummage around in the Lego warehouse on the Church Road that burnt down in 1970. Paddy has no Lego, but he does have a picture of the scene and now he has a song, it may be poor consolation, but it’s the best I can do. Thanks Paddy, we had a great laugh writing this!

A little boy was lying sick in his bed

When all around him were loosing their head

Down by the bookies around at the back

They were scrambling and fighting on a mountain of black

He called for his mammy, “please to me tell

What’s the commotion, what is that smell?”

She said “not to worry, it’s nothing at all,

It’s par for the course down here in East Wall”

“I’m goin’ over the road; I’ll just get a sack

And I’ll bring you a present when I get back”

True to her word and to his surprise

She laid out the goodies before his sick eyes

OH! MAMMY WHY IS THIS LEGO SO BLACK?

WHERE DID YE GET IT, CAN YE NOT BRING IT BACK?

THE TRAIN IS A BEAUTY, A WONDER TO SEE

BUT THE TRACK THEY ALL WOBBLE AND THERE’S NO BATTERIES!

He opened the sack and looked down in dismay

You could tell by the wrapping it’s not Hector Gray

He looked at the thousands and thousands of bits

And searched in vain for two that would stick

OH! MAMMY WHY…..

Then someone finally sent for the police

And then scurried off with the very last piece

The firemen were cursing and looking forlorn

In a warehouse of boxes and the Lego all gone

OH! MAMMY WHY…..

Next day for school poor Paddy was late

His hair and his cloths in a terrible state

The teacher said “Paddy, show me your hands

I can see by the smuts that you’re from Lego-land!”

OH! MAMMY WHY…..