| Author | Topic: Add: Paddy on the Railway | |
| dmcg | Posted - 23 Apr 05 - 08:27 am | |
In eighteen hundred and forty-one, I put my cord'roy breeches on, Put my cord'roy breeches on To work upon the railway. (Chorus) Billy me-oo, re-eye, re-aye, Billy me-oo, re-eye, re-aye, Bil-y me-oo, re-eye, re-aye, To work upon the railway. In eighteen hundred and forty-two, I left the ould world for the new, Bad 'cess to the luck that brought me through To work upon the railway. Our boss's name it was Tom King, He kept a store to rob the men, A Yankee clerk with ink and pen, To cheat Pat on the railway. It's "Pat do this" and "Pat do that", Without a stocking or cravat, Nothing but an old straw hat, And Pat worked on the railway. Source: Singing Together, Spring 1975, BBC Publications Notes: As this song only mentions 'Pat' and 'railway' and is normally called some minor variation of 'Paddy on the Railway' I am at a loss to explain why the BBC decided to call it 'Patrick on the RailRoad'. My best guess is that Pat 'left the old world for the new' is the rationale for changing Railway to Railroad and some concern about giving offence is the reason 'Paddy' became 'Patrick'. | ||
| Malcolm Douglas |
Posted - 23 Apr 05 - 10:07 pm | |
"Railroad" appears in some versions found in the USA and Canada; this may be one of them. You're probably right about the change from Paddy to Patrick: the political situation was pretty fraught at that time. | ||
| Jon Freeman | Posted - 24 Apr 05 - 12:47 am | |
I'm more familiar with "Wearing courdroy breeches, digging Ditches, etc" and a different tune. Here is a version I found at http://mysongbook.de/msb/songs/p/poorpadd.html Poor Paddy On The Railway (Trad. Arr. MacColl) In 1841 me corduroy breeches I put on Me corduroy breeches I put on To work upon the railway, the railway I am weary of the railway Poor Paddy works on the railway In 1842 from Hartlepoole I moved to Crewe And I found myself a job to do Working on the railway I was wearing corduroy breeches, Digging ditches, pulling switches, dodging hitches I was working on the railway In 1843 I broke me shovel across me knee And I went to work with the company On the Leeds and Selvy Railway I was wearing corduroy breeches, Digging ditches, pulling switches, dodging hitches I was working on the railway In 1844 I landed on the Liverpool shore Me belly was empty, me hands were raw With working on the railway, the railway I am weary of the railway Poor Paddy works on the railway In 1845 when Danny O'Connell he was alive Danny O'Connell he was alive And working on the railway I was wearing .... In 1846 I changed my trade from carrying bricks I changed my trade from carrying bricks To working on the railway I was wearing .... In 1847 poor Paddy was thinking of going to heaven Poor Paddy was thinking of going to heaven To work upon the railway, the Milky Way I'm weary of the railway Poor Paddy works on the railway I was wearing .... | ||
| Malcolm Douglas |
Posted - 24 Apr 05 - 05:40 am | |
That's MacColl's re-write of the set he originally published in The Singing Island (Mills Music, 1960). It was "collated from two versions, one collected at the Liverpool Locomotive Power Depot and the other from the Hellefield (Yorkshire) depot in 1951." He also states (p 36) "A sheet-music copy (corresponding to the slow part of the song printed here) was published by Ditson in America and popularized by the Irish stage singer J. B. Geoghegan. In 1952, a questionnaire circulated in a number of loco sheds in Northern England produced five versions, two of which were collated to form the song printed here." It should be noted that J B Geoghegan was not an "Irish stage singer", as MacColl assumed. He was a Lancashire man born and bred (though presumably with Irish antecedents some way back) who wrote and performed songs on the music halls. | ||
| dmcg | Posted - 24 Apr 05 - 08:38 am | |
Do the US and Canadian versions use 'railway' in the verses while being called 'railroad', or do they use 'railroad' for both? Or - as I suppose is likely - do most combinations turn up? | ||
| Mr Happy | Posted - 25 Apr 05 - 11:13 am | |
'On the Leeds and Selvy Railway' Think should read: 'On the Leeds and Selby Railway' | ||