Building Up And Tearing England Down - The Dubliners

Oh, I won a hero’s name with McAlpine and Costain

With Fitz Patrick, Murph Ash and the Wimpey’s gang

I’ve been often on the road on me way to draw the dole

When there’s nothing left to do for Johnny Laing

And I used to think that God made the mixer, pick and hod

So a Paddy might no hell above the ground

I’ve had gangers big and tough

Tell me tear that hole out rough

When you’re building up and tearing England down

In a tunnel under ground a young Limerick man was found

He was built into the new Victoria line

When the bonus gang had passed sticking from a concrete cast

Was the face of little Charlie Joe Devine

And the ganger man McGurk said big Paddy hates to work

When the gasmain blew and he flew off the ground

Oh they swore he said «Don't slack!

I’ll not be there until I’m back

Keep on building up and tearing England down!»

I was on the hydro dam on the day that Jack McCann

Got the better of his stammer in a week

He fell from the shuttering jamb

And that poor auld stuttering man

He was never ever more inclined to speak

And I saw auld Bald McCall from the big flyover fall

Into a concrete mixer spinning round

Tough it wasn’t his intent he got a fine head of cement

When he was building up and tearing England down

I remember Carrier Jack with his hod upon his back

How he swore one day he’d set the world on fire

But his face they’ve never seen

Since his shovel it cut clean

Through the middle of the big high tension wire

Oh no more like Robin Hood will he roam through Cricklewood

Or dance around the pubs in Camden Town

Oh, but let no man complain, sure no Pat can die in vain

When he’s building up and tearing England down

So come all you navvies bold, do not think that English gold

Is just waiting to be taken from each sod

Or the likes of you and me will ever get an OBE

Or a knighthood for good service to the hod

They’ve the concrete master race for to keep you in your place

And a ganger man to kick you to the ground

If you ever try to take part of what the bosses make

When you’re building up and tearing England down