Last Updated on 29 April 2024 by gerry
For my Sunday Spotlight this week, I’m going right back to my songwriting beginnings with a song that was born back in 1985 on a Friday night in Kelly’s Cellars, Belfast. It wouldn’t be accurate to claim it as one of my songs as it was a spontaneous collaboration – a blues number that sort of wrote itself between a bunch of 18-year olds out for a bit of a laugh with a few pints and a sing song. For me, it became a fun song to belt out when the mood was right and it has endured in my repertoire down through the years.
The Chicken Song
Well I said to my chicken
Why don’t you lay me an egg?
Yeah, I said to my chicken
Why don’t you lay me an egg?
Well, my chicken said to me
Why don’t you lay it yourself?
Well I woke up this morning
My poor little chicken was dead
Yeah, I woke up this morning
And my poor little chicken was dead
My chicken had died
All because of that egg.
I was real real sad
That my poor little chicken had died.
I was real real sad
That my poor little chicken had died.
I didn’t know whether to have my egg done
Raw, boiled, scrambled or fried.
Well since my chicken left me.
I found a new place to dwell.
It’s down at the end of lonely street
At Free Range Hotel.
I’ll be so lonely
I’ll be so lonely I could fry.
I’ll be so lonely
I’ll be so lonely I could fry.
Nostalgia
From what I can recall, myself and Pat McKillen were among the regular attenders at these Friday night gatherings. Saturday afternoons spent busking with Pat in Belfast City Centre are fondly remembered. When I started playing guitar, around 15 or so, I was equally drawn to playing the harmonica. Back then I recall I only had ears for Jimmy Reed in terms of the Blues, though it was probably Christy Moore that inspired me to start singing. I never was very fond of eggs.
I don’t have a studio recording of this song so I did a quick recording (with video) a couple of days ago.
I remember that song well but scary to think that it’s 24 years ago!!!!