{title: The Night Pat Murphy Died}
{artist: Traditional Newfoundland (lyrics by Johnny Burke, c.1900)}
{album: Johnny Burke, the "Bard of Prescott Street" (St. John's, NL), composed numerous Newfoundland comic songs in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; Burke d.1930}
{key: G}
{tempo: 130}
{difficulty: beginner}
{phase: 2}
{strand: R}
{feel: stomp}
{lead_voice: any}
{lead_mode: trade}
{lead_demand: moderate}
{harmony: M,H}
{a_cappella: no}
{kit: gtr,bod,fdl}
{set_role: comic}
{lang: en}
{country_tags: CA}
{copyright: copyrighted}
{tags: canadiana,chorus,comic,copyrighted,newfoundland,pub,public-domain,shanty,singalong,traditional,wake}

{c: A rollicking Newfoundland comic wake song — the lads have a few too many at Pat Murphy's funeral and the proceedings get a little disorderly. Johnny Burke's lyrics, c.1900; widely treated as traditional and public domain in Canada (Burke died 1930). Great Big Sea's 1993 recording made it the modern crowd favourite.}
{c: Three chords (G, C, D). Bright 4/4, around 130 BPM. Solo lead with the room joining on every chorus.}
{c: Strum: rollicking boom-chuck, no subtlety. Tempo is brisk — if the verses feel rushed, drop to 120.}

{start_of_verse}
[G]Oh the night that Pat [C]Murphy died
I'll [G]never can for[D]get
Some of the boys got [G]loaded drunk
And [G]they ain't [D]sober [G]yet
As [G]long as a bottle was [C]passed around
[G]Every man was [D]feelin' gay
O'[G]Leary came with the bag[C]pipes
[G]Some music for to [D]play
{end_of_verse}

{start_of_chorus}
That's [G]how they showed their re[C]spect for Patrick [G]Murphy
That's [G]how they showed their [D]honour and their [G]pride
They [G]said it was a [C]sin and shame and they [G]winked at one a[Em]nother
And [G]every drop of [C]whiskey at the [G]wake was [D]drunk that [G]night
{end_of_chorus}

{start_of_verse}
[G]Mrs. Murphy sat in the [C]corner
[G]Pouring out her [D]grief
[G]Kelly and his band of [C]music
Was [G]playing the [D]Mason's [G]Creed
[G]Every now and then she'd [C]raise up
And [G]bawl into the [D]room
[G]Take it easy with that [C]whiskey, boys
There's [G]plenty in the [D]jug
{end_of_verse}

{start_of_chorus}
That's [G]how they showed their re[C]spect for Patrick [G]Murphy
That's [G]how they showed their [D]honour and their [G]pride
They [G]said it was a [C]sin and shame and they [G]winked at one a[Em]nother
And [G]every drop of [C]whiskey at the [G]wake was [D]drunk that [G]night
{end_of_chorus}

{start_of_verse}
[G]Doctor Clancy came in with his [C]bottle
[G]Looking pretty [D]grand
[G]He sat down beside the [C]coffin
With a [G]glass in [D]every [G]hand
[G]Soon the news was passed a[C]round
[G]Pat had cocked his [D]toes
[G]Drank a bumper to his [C]health
And [G]called for double [D]rounds
{end_of_verse}

{start_of_chorus}
That's [G]how they showed their re[C]spect for Patrick [G]Murphy
That's [G]how they showed their [D]honour and their [G]pride
They [G]said it was a [C]sin and shame and they [G]winked at one a[Em]nother
And [G]every drop of [C]whiskey at the [G]wake was [D]drunk that [G]night
{end_of_chorus}

{c: ===== HOW TO PLAY IT =====}
{c: This is a comic song — commit to the comedy. The lead should ham it up: shake your head ruefully on the "sin and shame," wink on "winked at one another."}
{c: Verses can be sung or speak-sung — the rhythm is loose enough to play with.}
{c: Reference recording: Great Big Sea on "Up" (1995) — the modern definitive version. The earlier Newfoundland tradition (any 1960s/70s Newfoundland folk collection) has it more sedate.}

{c: ===== NOTE ON LYRICS =====}
{c: Many regional variants exist — verses get added, dropped, and rearranged. The above is a composite. Feel free to drop a verse or add a local one (Pat Murphy on Mayne Island, anyone?). Floating-verse tradition.}