Monday, March 19, 2007

Pall Bearers Handle



Video camera in hand, Sean swirled around and taped one song from each of the acts at Greensboro's annual St. Patrick's Day celebration at M'Couls Public House. Then he'd duck inside and post the videos to his blog.

He asked which song I'd like to be taped, and I said the first song: Pall Bearer's Handle.

I wrote this song about the Limbo contest my family usually kicks up every St. Patty's Day. My brothers and I circle the pub and gather up the folks, saying "It's tradition here to participate in the annual limbo contest. There's a chance you can win $50."

As folks line up, my Dad passes over the "staff," which is really a pall bearer's handle. A friend of his gave it to him years ago, and over the years, Irishmen and women have signed the staff and it more resembles a happy shepard's crook.

When the bagpipes rise up and people start bending backwards, I've always been mesmerized by the idea that people are literally dancing under a death stick.

The real kicker however comes at the end of the contest, when the winner comes to claim his prize, and my father says: "There was a chance you could win $50. Chances are you won't."

Ah. The Irish.

3 comments:

sean coon said...

what a great story.

btw, your parent looked straight out of a st patty's day card the other day - that hat your father had on was classic!

Molly McGinn said...

Awww, thanks. Wonderful people. They look like that every day. Seriously.

The only other color my Dad ever wears is black. And that hat, he's had people come up to him on St. Pat's day and offer him $1,000 for that hat, and he won't trade.

My mom is the same way, dressed to the nines almost every day. Though the velvet black fedora with the silk white tubing trim is my favorite hat on her. She sparkles.

Grateful they showed up after all, on a whim, leaving my brother and their friends in Raleigh to see the show.

*Sniff.

sean coon said...

;)