This is a short animation film based on a song by Johnny Gogan (see lyrics). The medicating scaffolder played by actor Donal O'Kelly metamorphoses into a 2 and a half D animated character who soars above Dublin's Parnell Square in his quest to build a tower without foundations. In the 8 minute film backed by the Arts Council, square and city get a make-over at the hands of the wayward scaffolder artist. With musical arrangements by Giordai Ua Laoire and Ray Duffy, the visuals involve the collaboration of Sligo based animator Brian McGowan and digital maverick Patrick O'Rourke. Completion June 2009.


The Scaffolder Falls

Arse in the air
Face to the floor
Like a ship run aground
In the sand
The traffic sped by
On Parnell Square
His bus had long left
From its stand

I knew that man
When he turned
And he stared
Words stuck in his head
Lethal grin
He proclaimed
"I was great!"

"A scaffolder am I
Nobody gets by
Hand me my gloves boy
Become my assistant
Just shut up and listen

This city was nothing
When I took to the air
I climbed and I climbed
Without fear
Hand me that standard boy
Don't look down
Don't look back
Don't look down
Or you'll fall"

The feeling was sublime
As we scaled up
Towards the sky
Danger warnings defied
The Scaffolder has pride
No other gets higher
You can't have your buildings
Without him there scheming
He got me dreaming

Higher and higher above
Dublin's spires
Adam and Eve's Black Church
And whitefriars
He conquered them all
With blind desire
While the faithful below
beckoned his fall
Now he's dreaming (repeat)

The beer killed my fear
While I conquered thin air
Every city succumbed
To my wares
When work grew thin
I would take to the night
Every cat must have
More than one life

And I danced with the girls
In the ballrooms and halls
Spun them a line
Till they fell from my arms
But I wasn't there for the one
Who deserved
For the one girl I should serve

Catch me my darling
Please be kind
I lost the run of my mind
The bar-men won't serve me
Though they profited most
While the gangers forbid
Me to climb

My fall
It was straight
One towering mistake
I have paid
See these hands
I was great
This scaffolder has plans
No foreman understands
For a house built on feelings
No walls no ceilings
I kicked the trap-door
Knowing I could fall
But dreams have to fly
I wanted to fly
Now this scaffolder flies

Higher and higher above Dublin's spires
Adam and Eve's, Black Church, Whitefriars
I conquered them all
with blind desire
While the faithful below
Awaited my fall
But I'm dreaming (repeat)

We're coming back to the
place of the fall
The Ierne, the National and Banba Halls
The Garden of his Meanderings
"Behold the bouncing baby boy below
Lolling round the rotund room
Mother gone all hope foresook
Take me down for one last look"

So we stood on the street
And started to dance
For a city we lost
In the race
When I go back there
I think of his words
Don't look back
Don't look down
Keep your feet off the ground
Don't look back don't look down
Keep your feet off the ground
Don't look back don't look down
Or you'll fall


© Johnny Gogan 2007