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23 messages

Lyr Req: How Paddy Stole the Rope

04 Dec 96 - 12:43 PM (#628)
Subject: Stealing ropes!
From: mryan@server1.rtc-athlone.ie

Anybody got words for "When Paddy stole the Rope"?

Best Wishes

Martin Ryan

09 Sep 00 - 02:21 PM (#294182)
Subject: ADD: How Paddy Stole the Rope ^^
From: Joe Offer

HOW PADDY STOLE THE ROPE

THERE was once two Irish labouring men; to England they came over;
They tramped about in search of work from Liverpool to Dover.
Says Pat to Mick, "I'm tired of this; we're both left in the lurch;
And if we don't get work, bedad, I'll go and rob a church."
"What, rob a church?" says Mick to Pat; "How dare you be so vile?
There’s something sure to happen as you're treading down the aisle.
But if you go I go with you; we'll get out safe, I hope;"
So, if you'll listen, I'll tell you here how Paddy stole the rope.

So off they went with theft intent, the place they wanted finding.
They broke into a country church, which nobody was minding.
They scraped together all they could and then prepared to slope,
When Paddy cries out, 'Hold on, Mick, what shall we do for rope?
We've got no bag to hold the swag, and e'er we get outside,
With something stout and strong, my lad, the bundle must be tied."
Just then he spies the old church bell, and quick as an antelope,
He scrambled up the belfry high to try and steal a rope.

Now when Paddy up the belfry got, 'Ah-hah, bedad, but stop;
To get a piece that's long enough, I must climb up to the top."
So, like a sailor, up he went, and near the top, says he,
"I think the piece that's underneath quite long enough will be."
So, holding by one arm and leg, he drew his clasp knife out,
And right above his big fat head he cut the rope so stout.
He quite forgot it held him up, and, by the Holy Pope,
Down to the bottom of the church fell Paddy and the rope.

'Come out of that," says Mick to Pat, as he on the floor lay groaning,
'If that's the way you cut a rope, no wonder now your moaning.
I'll show you how to cut a rope, so just lend me the knife."
"Be very careful," cries out Pat, "or else you’ll lose your life."
He clambered up the other rope, and, like an artful thief,
Instead of cutting it above, he cut it underneath.
The piece fell down and left poor Mick alone up there to cope;
Says he, "Bad luck unto the day when we came stealing rope.'

Now with Paddy groaning on the floor and Mick hung up on high,
Says Pat, 'Come down." 'I can't," cried Mick, "for if I do, I die."
The noise soon brought the beadle round, the sexton and police,
And although they set poor Micky free, they gave them no release.
They marched them to the county jail where their conduct now they rue,
And if they'd got no work before, they've plenty now to do;
And for their ingenuity they now have larger scope
Than when they broke into a church to try and steal a rope.
MMario provided a link to this song in another thread.
So, anybody got a tune?
-Joe Offer- ^^

09 Sep 00 - 02:59 PM (#294194)
Subject: RE: Stealing ropes!
From: Banjer

I think it would fit 'Johnson's Motor Car'....

09 Sep 00 - 02:59 PM (#294195)
Subject: RE: Stealing ropes!
From: Sorcha

Almost scans like it would fit Why Paddy's Not at Work Today............

09 Sep 00 - 03:50 PM (#294218)
Subject: RE: Stealing ropes!
From: Malcolm Douglas

There's a broadside set at the Bodleian:  How Paddy Stole The Rope  (Printer & date unknown).

Sheet music is at Music for the Nation, credited "Words by Fred Albert, Music by Frank Egerton":  How Paddy Stole the Rope.

Malcolm

09 Sep 00 - 04:43 PM (#294238)
Subject: RE: Stealing ropes!
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan

Thanks guys! The broadsheet version is fascinating, Malcolm - I dont think the Bodleian was online when I asked first.

Regards

12 Sep 00 - 02:22 PM (#295809)
Subject: RE: Stealing ropes!
From: GUEST,Ian M.

Tim Hart and Maddy Prior sing this on their 1968 LP "Folk Songs of Olde England Vol.2". They use a tune which carries a lot of songs but for the life of me I can't put a name to it just now. The LP was re-released 10 years ago by Mooncrest Records.

12 Sep 00 - 04:08 PM (#295888)
Subject: RE: Stealing ropes!
From: Joe Offer

....so was somebody going to volunteer to transcribe the tune?

12 Sep 00 - 04:15 PM (#295894)
Subject: RE: Stealing ropes!
From: MMario

I'll do it joe - and send you an NWC file, okay?

12 Sep 00 - 06:20 PM (#296007)
Subject: Tune Add: HOW PADDY STOLE THE ROPE ^^
From: Barbara

Alas, I transcribed first and then checked the thread, so here is my duplicate effort from malcolm's link above.
Blessings,
Barbara

MIDI file: stelrope.mid

Timebase: 240

TimeSig: 4/4 24 8
Tempo: 100 (600000 microsec/crotchet)
Start
0720 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 76 080 0096 0 76 064 0024 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 67 080 0144 0 67 064 0036 1 67 080 0048 0 67 064 0012 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 67 080 0048 0 67 064 0012 1 67 080 0048 0 67 064 0012 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 74 080 0192 0 74 064 0048 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 76 080 0096 0 76 064 0024 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 76 080 0288 0 76 064 0072 1 76 080 0096 0 76 064 0024 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0168 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 76 080 0096 0 76 064 0024 1 75 080 0096 0 75 064 0024 1 76 080 0096 0 76 064 0024 1 76 080 0096 0 76 064 0024 1 77 080 0096 0 77 064 0024 1 77 080 0096 0 77 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 76 080 0288 0 76 064 0072 1 76 080 0096 0 76 064 0024 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 76 080 0096 0 76 064 0024 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 66 080 0096 0 66 064 0024 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 67 080 0288 0 67 064 0072 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 76 080 0096 0 76 064 0024 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 74 080 0288 0 74 064 0072 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064 0024 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 76 080 0096 0 76 064 0024 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:
M:4/4
Q:1/4=100
K:C
G7G|cedBcAG3/2G/2|AcBAAG2G/2G/2|AdddGccc|
cBAcBd2G|cedBcAGG|ABcde3e|dAAdcAGG|ccdBc3A|
ABcde^dee|ffcde3e|dedcBcdd|d^FBAG3G|cedBcAGG|
AcBcd3G|ccBAGFEG|cedBc3/2||

12 Sep 00 - 07:36 PM (#296066)
Subject: ADD Tune: How Paddy Stole the Rope ^^
From: MMario

NWC file sent to joe from the same source ^^
I sent the tune to Mudcat MIDIs. Thanks to both MMario and Barbara.
-Joe Offer-

23 Dec 02 - 10:32 AM (#852503)
Subject: Lyr Req: Lyrics to Pat & Mike??
From: GUEST,brian.martin3@worldnet.att.net

Hi,
I'm trying to locate lyrics to an old irish song whose title I'm not sure of. The song is about Pat and Mike, two brothers or friends who steal the rope from a church bell.. My Grandad sang this (among others) to my brother and myself.

Thanks
Brian at brian.martin3@worldnet.att.net

23 Dec 02 - 11:44 AM (#852553)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lyrics to Pat & Mike??
From: Sorcha

Aha! Found it! How Paddy Stole the Rope, e mail sent.

23 Dec 02 - 11:44 AM (#852554)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lyrics to Pat & Mike??
From: Malcolm Douglas

See, in the DT:

HOW PADDY STOLE THE ROPE

And, in the Forum:

Stealing ropes!

Written by Fred Albert and Frank Egerton around the 1880s, it seems; probably for the Music Hall.

23 Dec 02 - 11:44 AM (#852555)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lyrics to Pat & Mike??
From: Malcolm Douglas

Snap.

23 Dec 02 - 11:46 AM (#852557)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lyrics to Pat & Mike??
From: Sorcha

Well, you got the Forum link, but I beat ya, Malcolm! Had to think which word to search for.

23 Dec 02 - 11:52 AM (#852563)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lyrics to Pat & Mike??
From: masato sakurai

The sheet music (1885) by Frank Egerton is HERE. See also Tim Hart & Maddy Prior' "Paddy Stole The Rope".
~Masato

23 Dec 02 - 02:17 PM (#852684)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lyrics to Pat & Mike??
From: GUEST,Brian

Many Thanks.

What a wonderful site. Incredible information and sharing. Love it.

17 Mar 08 - 12:50 PM (#2290648)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: How Paddy Stole the Rope
From: Mix O'Lydian

Music score, lyrics and midi file can be found at:

http://www.horfieldbells.freeuk.com/bell_anthology.htm

15 Dec 12 - 02:32 PM (#3452369)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: How Paddy Stole the Rope
From: GUEST

i,m 73and I remember my father used to sing this song every Christmas with my aunt & uncles. I am so glad I have found the words

15 Dec 12 - 03:57 PM (#3452397)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: How Paddy Stole the Rope
From: Jim Dixon

The sheet music at the Library of Congress (see links above) says "Words by Fred. Albert. - Music by Frank Egerton."

There are other copies/editions at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge that say "Words and music by Fred Albert; sung by Patrick Feeney." Those copies are not viewable online.

15 Dec 12 - 05:10 PM (#3452426)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: How Paddy Stole the Rope
From: dick greenhaus

Sing'nicely to Macnamara's Band

15 Dec 12 - 07:21 PM (#3452472)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: How Paddy Stole the Rope
From: Gurney

Masato's post of Tim and Maddy's variant is the one that Sean Cannon sings, with the slight change that 'Mike climbed up the other rope as nimble as a doe, and instead of cutting it up above, he cut it off below..'