Percy

Percy was commissioned by the Western Australia Massed Choir Festival  in 2018 under the direction of Mary-Anne Goyder.

Percy Archibald Button was born on 22 August 1892 in the Marylebone Workhouse in London, England. He was the illegitimate child of a kitchen maid named Sarah Jane who, for reasons of her own, did not raise him. In 1910, at the age of 18, he emigrated to Western Australia where he worked in and around Perth doing odd jobs.

Like many other young men, on 1 May 1917, he enlisted into the Australian Imperial Forces, but by 20 March 1918 he was discharged and returned to Australia due to ‘congenital mental deficiency’.

Upon his return he fell into a life of vagrancy and throughout the years, he once again worked odd jobs around Perth including bottle collecting, paper selling and performing acrobatic tricks. It was his acrobatics, which attracted the most attention.

Often setting himself up outside the many theatres, which once existed in Perth, Percy would tumble, somersault and entertain the crowds with handcuff tricks in the hope that some generous soul would toss a few coins into his old hat. He soon became a well-known identity to the people of Perth as well as to the police who constantly arrested him for vagrancy and on occasion, frequenting illegal Chinese gambling houses.

Time was not kind to Percy. The man who once entertained the people of Perth died from coronary thrombosis on 5 March 1954 at age 61. He was not wealthy and he had no family to make his story known. In 1996 he was first immortalised as an aerial sculpture over Hay Street.

At the time, all Percy was really doing was finding a way to live. Through his actions however he managed to contribute and bring joy to society.  Immortalised in bronze on the street where he once worked, he and his story will live on for years to come.

Use this digital recording as your sample guide.

Themes

Sing a history Sing a message Sing an Australian story Sing from the heart
Duration 05:20
Key D Major
Range Standard SA
More info
Price AU$3.00 per copy

Lyrics

P E R C Y
                           
By Paul Jarman 

Percy, he had no home and know one to call his own
He’d sleep in the alleys, the parks and the lanes
And drift by and by to the crowds where he’d play
And they’d all watch him perform
And he’d play till the sun goes down
He would play with heart and soul
Then he’d find himself all alone

Percy, no mum or dad, never knew his parents at all
With no one to turn to and a country at war
A life on the street was the best he could do
And he’d entertain the crowd
Doing tricks till the sun goes down
He was loved all over the town
At the end of the day
He’d find himself all alone

Old Percy only finding a way to survive
Old Percy, trying to make sense of this world
Doing the best that you can

So play on; play on, you kind-hearted dreamer
Play on till the sun goes down
Play on; play on, you rambling rover
I’ll sing you to sleep, goodnight

With a battered old hat full of coins and memories
And a ragged old top hat and tails
There’s a wayfaring stranger tumbling and turning
Rambling on like a long lost pal

Old Percy, bringing joy and wonder to turbulent times
Old Percy, finding your place in this world
Doing the best that you can

And we’ll all watch you perform
And you’ll play till the sun goes down 
And when the crowd has gone away
It’s you and the road and where the wind blows
I’ll sing you to sleep, goodnight

© Paul Jarman 2018