Lyr Req/Add: Reason I Left Mullingar (Pat Cooksey)

Subject: The Reason I Left Mullingar - Lyrics (fureys)
From: John
Date: 21 Apr 97 - 06:16 PM

The Fureys and Davey Arthur performed this song as their opener at a number of concerts I performed at. The only snippets I recall are "I walked through this city a stranger, In a land I can never call home, I cast a sad notion across me, in search of my child hood to roam. I'm weary of working and drinking, with a week's wages left in a bar, but to work till you're dead for one room and a bed's not the reason I left Mullingar.

I have searched the DT to no avail. Any help please?

Subject: Lyr Add: THE REASON I LEFT MULLINGAR (from Fureys)
From:
Date: 29 Apr 97 - 09:03 AM

HI JOHN!
Here you are the whole lyrics:
-----------------------
THE REASON I LEFT MULLINGAR

I walk through the city a stranger
In a land I can never call home,
And I curse the sad notion that caused me
In search of my fortune to roam.
I'm weary of work and hard drinking
And a week's wages left in a bar,
And God! it's a shame to use a friend's name
Just to beg for the price of a jar.

CHORUS: I remember that bright April morning
When I left home to travel afar,
But to work till you're dead
For one room and a bed
Is not the reason I left Mullingar.

This London's a city of heartbreak.
On Friday, there's friends by the score,
But when the pay's finished on Monday,
A friend's not a friend anymore.
For the working day seems never ending.
From the shovel and pick, there's no break.
And when you're not working, you're spending
The fortune you left home to make. CHORUS

And for every man here that finds fortune
And comes home to tell of the tale,
Each morning the broadway is crowded
With many the thousand who fail.
So, young men of Ireland, take warning:
In London you will never find
The gold at the end of the rainbow.
You might just have left it behind. CHORUS

(Recorded by The Furey Bros. and Davey Arthur)

Bye!
Ezio, Italy

---

The Reason I Left Mullingar in the Digital Tradition (added 1997).

Songwriter is Pat Cooksey.

Subject: Hillbilly
From: paulebs
Date: 11 Apr 97 - 09:20 PM

In Feb I asked for words to The Martins and the Coys and you said it would be in your Apr update. Hope that is still coming. Thanks

Subject: RE: The Reason I Left Mullingar - Lyrics (fureys)
From: John
Date: 29 Apr 97 - 08:09 PM

Fabulous, thanks Ezio

Subject: LYR ADD: The reason I left Mullingar
From: Ezio
Date: 15 Aug 97 - 09:26 AM

THE REASON I LEFT MULLINGAR
(Pat Cooksey)

I walk through the city a stranger
In a land I can never call home
And I curse the sad notion that caused me
In search of my fortune to roam
I'm weary of work and hard drinking
And a week's wages left in a bar
And God it's a shame to use a friend's name
Just to beg for the price of a jar

Chorus
I remember that bright April morning
When I left home to travel afar
But to work till you're dead
For one room and a bed
Is not the reason I left Mullingar

This London's a city of heartbreak
On Friday there's friends by the score
But when the pay's finished on Monday
A friend's not a friend anymore
For the working day seems never ending
From the shovel and pick there's no break
And when you're not working you're spending
The fortune you left home to make

Chorus

And for every man here that finds fortune
And comes home to tell of the tale
Each morning the broadway is crowded
With many the thousand who fail
So young men of Ireland take warning
In London you will never find
The gold at the end of the rainbow
You might just have left it behind

Chorus

This London's a city of heartbreak,
On a Friday there's friends by the score.
But when the pay's finished on Monday,
A friend's not a friend anymore.
For the working day seems never ending,
From the shovel and pick there's no break.
And when you're not working, you're spending
The fortune you left home to make.

Chorus

And for every man here that finds fortune,
And comes home to tell of the tale,
Each morning the broadway is crowded
With many the thousands who fail.
So young men of Ireland take warning,
In London you never will find,
That gold at the end of the rainbow,
For you might just have left it behind.

Chorus!

(Recorded by The Furey Bros. and Davey Arthur)

Subject: The reason I left Mullingar/ how old.
From: GUEST,Paul Staines.
Date: 19 Aug 02 - 05:49 AM

I have heard several versions of this song both live and on c.d. Can anyone tell me how old this song is.

Subject: RE: Help: The reason I left Mullingar/ how old.
From: DMcG
Date: 19 Aug 02 - 05:54 AM

Not sure - you could try asking the author! (Pat Cooksey)

Subject: RE: Help: The reason I left Mullingar/ how old.
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 28 Aug 02 - 05:23 PM

I don't think Pat would claim this one! 19 C., probably early, at a guess - I'll check.

Regards

Subject: RE: Help: The reason I left Mullingar/ how old.
From: Dave4Guild
Date: 28 Aug 02 - 06:40 PM

Sorry Martin but it was Pat. I played banjo with him for quite a while a few years ago and it was one of his most requested songs. We had a great time, too, but that's another story (or dozens of 'em!)

Subject: RE: Help: The reason I left Mullingar/ how old.
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 29 Aug 02 - 07:43 AM

Dave

Sorry! I had the wrong song in my head ("The Mullingar Recruit"). Apologies to Pat, also!

Regards

Subject: RE: The Reason I Left Mullingar - Lyrics (fureys)
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Jan 03 - 01:45 PM

Does anyone have the cords to this beautiful song?

Subject: RE: The Reason I Left Mullingar - Lyrics (fureys)
From: GUEST,Pat Cooksey.
Date: 23 Jan 03 - 04:51 PM

I think it's in the digital tradition, a google search will
show loads of sites with the lyrics, chords, and several free
downloads.
The song seems to have aquired an extra chord or two since I
wrote it.

Good luck,

Pat.

Subject: ADD: The Reason I Left Mullingar (Pat Cooksey)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 13 Feb 13 - 03:40 PM

Here are the lyrics from the Pat Cooksey Website, http://www.patcooksey.com. They're just slightly different from the transcription by Ezio that appears in the Digital Tradition.

THE REASON I LEFT MULLINGAR

Written in 1980 for The Fureys, the original arrangement was by Finbar Furey. This song has also been widely recorded by other artists but The Furey's version is considered to be the best. The song is dedicated to the thousands of Irish building workers who left home to find work in London in the mid 70's, and the homesickness created by the endless cycle of work and drinking.


THE REASON I LEFT MULLINGAR
(Pat Cooksey)

I walk through this city a stranger
In a land I can never call home
And I curse the sad notion that caused me
In search of my fortune to roam
I'm weary of work and hard drinking
My week's wages left in the bar
And God it's a shame, to use a friend's name
To beg for the price of a jar.

CHORUS
I remember that bright April morning
When I left home to travel afar
To work till you're dead, for one room and a bed
It's not the reason I left Mullingar.

This London's a city of heartbreak
On Friday there's friends by the score
But when the pay's finished on Monday
A friend's not a friend anymore
For the working day seems never ending
From the shovel and pick there's no break
And when you're not working you're spending
The fortune you left home to make.

CHORUS

And for every man here that finds fortune
And comes home to tell of the tale
Each morning the Broadway is crowded
With many the thousands who fail
So young men of Ireland take warning
In London you never will find
The gold at the end of the rainbow
For you might just have left it behind.

CHORUS

Copyright Pat Cooksey, all rights reserved.
Published by Banshee Music, Dublin.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Reason I Left Mullingar (Pat Cooksey)
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 13 Feb 13 - 07:38 PM

Very much in the tradition of The Old Bog Road

.My feet are here on Broadway
This blessed harvest morn,
But oh! the ache that's in my heart
For the spot where I was born.
My weary hands are blistered
Through work in cold and heat!
And oh! to swing a scythe once more
Through a field of Irish wheat.
Had I the chance to wander back,
Or own a king's abode.
I'd sooner see the hawthorn tree
By the Old Bog Road.

When I was young and restless
My mind was ill at ease,
Through dreaming of America,
And the gold beyond the seas.
Oh, sorrow rake their money,
'Tis hard to find the same,
And what's the world to any man
If no one speaks his name.
I've had my day and here I am
A-building bricks per load.
A long three thousand miles away
From the Old Bog Road.

My mother died last springtime,
When Erin's fields were green.
The neighbours said her waking
Was the finest ever seen.
There were snowdrops and primroses
Piled high above her bed,
And Ferns Church was crowded
When her funeral Mass was read.
And here was I on Broadway
A-building bricks per load.
When they carried out her coffin
Down the old Bog Road.

There was a decent girl at home
Who used to walk with me.
Her eyes were soft and sorrowful
Like moonlight o'er the sea.
Her name was Mary Dwyer,
But that was long ago.
The ways of God are wiser
Than the things that man might know.
She died the day I left her,
A-building bricks per load,
I'd best forget the days I've spent
On the old Bog Road.

Ah! Life's a weary puzzle,
past finding out by man.
I take the day for what it's worth,
and do the best I can.
Since noone cares a rush for me,
what needs to make a moan,
I'll go my way and draw my pay,
and smoke my pipe alone,
Each human heart must know its grief,
tho' little be their load.
So God be with you, Ireland,
and the Old Bog Road.

Teresa Brayton

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Reason I Left Mullingar (Pat Cooksey)
From: Brakn
Date: 13 Feb 13 - 07:48 PM

Love The Old Bog Road, used to sing it years ago.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Reason I Left Mullingar (Pat Cooksey)
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 13 Feb 13 - 10:18 PM

"Each morning the Broadway is crowded"

Suggests to me that Pat Cooksey would have had the opening line of the old Bog Road in mind when he put his song together, and perhaps hoping that it would echo in many listeners minds. That's the kind of thing that can add depth to a song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Reason I Left Mullingar (Pat Cooksey)
From: GUEST,Seamus Kennedy
Date: 14 Feb 13 - 12:34 AM

I'm sure Pat would be delighted to have "Mullingar" compared favourably with "The Old Bog Road". It works for me.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Reason I Left Mullingar (Pat Cooksey)
From: GUEST,David Finch, Leeds.
Date: 14 Feb 13 - 07:31 AM

Mullingar must be one of the best Irish emigration songs I've ever heard, to have written this, and perhaps the most famous Irish comedy song The Sick Note, says a lot about the songwriting talent of Pat Cooksey. I'm told he lives, and still plays in Germany, still writing excellent songs.