Paradise Square - Patrick Rose

Song Information

The opening track from the studio album recorded at Park Head studios. This was probably one of the last songs that I wrote for the album - I remember being in France on a family holiday trying desperately to find more rhymes for "Square", and the second song I wrote based on the stories I heard from the Steel City Ghost Tour.

Paradise Square is just behind Sheffield's Cathedral, and this song is about one of the times that the calvalry charged down a group of unarmed workers, similar to the Peterloo Massacre in Manchester. The rough backstory is that a group of steel workers went to Paradise Square and were about to knock on the door of their boss' house to ask for better wages. Unbenownst to them, the week before someone had thrown a brick through all the windows of the houses. The bosses naturally thought that they were going to get lynched so they called the police (who weren't available due to some other event), then the army (there were riots in Hillsborough) and finally the cavalry.

All 3 suddenly arrived at the same time. There's 4 entrances to Paradise Square, one at the bottom of the hill, one at the top, one at the side and a tiny side alley. The steel workers ran down the alley and got crushed - those that were too slow were slaughtered by the cavalry/army/police. The survivors were shipped off to Canada (which is why they suddenly got a steel industry) and the event was hushed up - the bosses didn't want to get a reputation for not knowing who was on their side.

I accompany myself on guitar, using CGCGCD on capo 6. I originally recorded it on capo 7 but I've found it to be a bit high to sing regularly.

I’ve lived in Sheffield for all of my life
But now I’ve been sent off through pain and strife
I’ll tell you my story if you pull up a chair
And I’ll sing of Paradise Square

I worked in the steelhouse to try and cover my needs
For I had a wife and 3 children to feed
So we stood up together to ask for our share
And went to Paradise Square

And we stood there, three hundred strong
A union of steel men, together for so long
To ask for what’s even, and ask for what’s fair
Down at Paradise Square

The merchants and bankers saw us three hundred men
Feared for their lives, thought we wanted them dead
The last lot who came had got them all scared
Down at Paradise Square

They called up the law, but they couldn’t come
Over at Woodhouse, there’s things to be done
But that’s all finished, we’ll come over there
To quell those at Paradise Square

While we stood there, drawing short straws
We had no idea we were breaking the law
We came for the chance to get our fair share
As we stood at Paradise Square

The watch took too long and the army was called
There’s riots in Hillsbourough the bankers were told
But once that’s all over we’ll come over there
And save you from Paradise Square

Time ticked on, and they called the cavalry
And all arrived in their finery
And police and army converged on us there
And we ran from Paradise Square

So we ran down that tight alleyway
Of the three hundred men, a tenth survived that day
Put before the judge, put before the mayor
And sent down for Paradise Square

So I left fair Sheffield for Canadee-i-o
And my wife and my kids to the poorhouse they’ll go
But the merchants and bankers, do you think that they’ll care?
Just ask those at Paradise Square