#stripper | Greg's Blog

God Made Her a Sinner…

There is nothing quite like a burlesque show circa 1924. We have all seen it romanticize on Broadway and in the movies. The experience seeming nothing like the seedy strip clubs of modern day. No doubt the shows of the roaring 20s and the Soprano style clubs of today are designed to sell sex but there was an art to burlesque that is lost in today’s striptease acts.

This week Jim at A Unique Title for Me set the theme for Song Lyric Sunday to clothing. Think suits, pants, shirts, dresses. Instantly classic tracks such as ZZ Top’s “Sharp Dressed Man” or Chris de Burgh’s “Lady in Red” come to mind.

“Patricia the Stripper” is the 4^th track on the vinyl A-side of Chris de Burgh’s sophomore release “Spanish Train and Other Stories“. The album was released in 1975 and highlights de Burgh’s knack for storytelling. His lyrics come to life, drawing you in and making you feel as though you are in the scene. You will feel like your soul is truly on the line in “Spanish Train“, ‘La Bise‘ is swirling about your feet in “Lonely Sky“, and you are bearing witness to the return of Christ in “A Spaceman Came Travelling“.

This week’s selection “Patricia the Stripper” is no different. The story revolves around Patricia, or should I say Delicia, whose clothing ends up strewn across the stage floor. DeBurgh weaves the tale of the lovely Patricia so vividly that you can almost feel the ‘tremendous applause as she took off her drawers’ or the uproar in the riotous courtroom when the Judge decrees, ‘Case dismissed… this girl was in her working clothes!!’

The best I can tell the song never received wide release as a single although I did find a Canadian release from 1976 and a promo single from 2000 supporting the release of “The Ultimate Collection” greatest hits compilation. I highly recommend immersing yourself in de Burgh’s world. Patricia will have you captivated as will the other tracks on “Spanish Train and Other Stories“. Enjoy.

Patricia the Stripper Lyrics

Dennis is a menace with his "anyone for tennis?"
And beseeching me to come and keep the score...
And Maud saya "Oh Lord! I'm so terribly bored!"
I really can't stand it anymore...

I'm going out to dinner, with a gorgeous singer,
To a little place I've found down by the quay;
Her name is Patricia, she calls herself Delicia,
And the reason isn't very hard to see...

She says God made her a sinner just to keep fat men thinner,
As they tumble down in heaps before her feet.
They hang around in groups like battle-weary troops,
One can often see them queue right down the street...

You see Patricia, or Delicia, not only is a singer
She also removes all her clothing...
For Patricia is the best stripper in town.

And with a swing of her hips she started to strip,
To tremendous applause she took off her drawers,
And with a lick of her lips she undid all the clips,
Threw it all in the air, and everyone stared,
And as the last piece of clothing fell to the floor,
The police were banging on the door,
On a Saturday night, in nineteen twenty-four...

Take it away boys!

But poor Patricia was arrested and everyone detested,
The manner in which she was exposed,
And later on in court, well, everybody thought
A summer run in jail would be proposed,

But the judge said, "Patricia,
Or may I say, Delicia,
The facts of this case lie before me...
Case dismissed... this girl was in her working clothes!!"

And with a swing of her hips, she started to strip,
To tremendous applause she took off her drawers,
And with a lick of her lips she undid all her clips,
Threw it all in the air, and everyone stared,
And as the last piece of clothing fell to the floor,
The police were yelling out for more!!!
On a Saturday night in nineteen twenty-four...
On a Saturday night in nineteen twenty-four...

Songwriter: Chris de Burgh