Paddy Noonan © Tony Fallon 091717

Paddy Noonan © Tony Fallon 091717

Paddy Noonan is his name And from County Cork he came.

In his Mallow cap and Coat As he stepped off the big boat

Among his cases on the docks Was his famous accordion box

To be played all over the USA On a wedding or birthday

In the heat and in the cold For the young and for the old

In his own unique style Far away from Erin’s Isle.

The constant whether it was spring winter or summer

Paddy on the accordion Johnny Hanley was the drummer

Whenever the label put out a brand new record

Playing the piano there was Brendan Ward

There always were accordions and an odd guitar

Some of the singers were treated like a superstar

There were numerous artists that he helped with their careers

To name all the artist on Rego would take me many years

If you wanted to get a spin on an American Radio turntable

The stars from Ireland knew you had to be on Paddy’s label

Brendan Shine ,Brendan Grace James Galway and James Last

Hal Roach  Wolfe Tones The Dubliners and Al Logan from Belfast

Foster and Allen Mary Hegarty Anne and Francie Brolly

If he could sing an Irish song he’d surely have Mohamed Ali

While his band was telling us all to visit Galway Bay

Paddy was spreading Irish music all across the USA

We all heard of places where they played that we will never see

I know they played in Texas I don’t know about Tennessee

How often has he played the Siege and the Stack?

Or waltzes about people still dreaming of going back

It was an awful wonder in City Center that we didn’t choke

Because in those days everyone had cigarettes to smoke

Richie would be singing of some old wedding ring

And the women would be begging for a Highland Fling

Martin Galvin would remind him not to forget

Before putting away the accordion to play at least a Clare set

And of course you’d hear many Munster hornpipes

Long before the Soldiers song and the Stars and stripes

His band contained A who’s who of Irish winners.

Not too many got to sing if they were just beginners

To try to name all the lead singers I must now begin

I’ll start off with Andy Cooney, Jesse Owens and Martin Flynn

Noel Kingston from Kerry Pat Roper from Dundee

Tommy Mulvihill from the Bronx, and Charlie McGee.

Kenny McLeod and Marie Francis at the same time

Richie O’Shea sang of One Day and a Bunch of Thyme

I heard Carl Corcoran sing in Long Beach in the sand

He only stayed for a little while in Paddy Noonan’s Band

For a boy who came from Mallow he had one great career

As a musician and a businessman he was a pioneer.

I’ve know Paddy almost forever but I have this one regret

That Rego isn’t in business to release my poetry on cassette.