Page 21
My father "Dominic Behan" wrote the song in the late sixties it can be found in one of his two songbooks, "Ireland Sings" or "The Singing Irish" which are available in many libraries. Regards, Stephen Behan from mudcat
after The Mary Wallopers, they do it capo 2
Building up and Tearing England Down
by Dominic Behan
Oh, I [C] won a hero's name with Mc- [F] Alpine and Cos- [G] tain
With Fitz [C] Patrick, Murphy [F] Ash and [G] Wimpy's [C] gang
I've been [C] often on the road on my [F] way to draw the [G] dole
When there's [C] nothing left to [F] do for [G] Johnny [C] Laing
And I [Am] used to think that [F] God made the [E] mixer, pick and [E7] hod
So that [Am] Paddys might know [G] hell above [F] the ground
I've had [C] ganger's big and tough
Tell me [F] tear it all out [G] rough
When you're [C] building up and [F] tearing [G] England [C] down
I remember carrier Jack he wore a hod upon his back
How he swore one day he'd set the world on fire
his face they've never seen
Since his shovel it cut clean
Through the middle of the big high tension wire
And I saw old Balls McColl with a big fly over haul
Into a concrete mixer spinning round
Though it was not his intent
He got a fine head of cement
When he was building up and tearing England down
I was on the Hydro dam on the day that Pat McCann
Got the better of his stammer in a week
He fell from the shuttering dam
And that poor old stuttering man
He was never ever more inclined to speak
Oh no more like Robin Hood will he roam through Cricklewood
Or dance around the pubs at Camdon Town
Oh but let no man proclaim
Sure no Paddy dies in vain
When they'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 through the concrete cast
Was the face of little Charlie Joe Divine
And the ganger man McGurk said big Paddy hates the work
When the gas main burst and he flew off the ground
Oh they swore he'd send down slack
I'll not be there until I'm back
Keep on building up and tearing England down
So come all you navvy's bold
Do not think that English gold
Is just waiting to be plucked from every sod
Or the likes of you and me will ever get an O.B.E
Or a knighthood for good service to the hod
They've a concrete master race to keep you in your place
And a ganger man to kick you to the ground
(repeat)
If you ever try to take
Part of what the bosses make
When you're building up and tearing England down
With Fitz [C] Patrick, Murphy [F] Ash and [G] Wimpy's [C] gang
I've been [C] often on the road on my [F] way to draw the [G] dole
When there's [C] nothing left to [F] do for [G] Johnny [C] Laing
And I [Am] used to think that [F] God made the [E] mixer, pick and [E7] hod
So that [Am] Paddys might know [G] hell above [F] the ground
I've had [C] ganger's big and tough
Tell me [F] tear it all out [G] rough
When you're [C] building up and [F] tearing [G] England [C] down
I remember carrier Jack he wore a hod upon his back
How he swore one day he'd set the world on fire
his face they've never seen
Since his shovel it cut clean
Through the middle of the big high tension wire
And I saw old Balls McColl with a big fly over haul
Into a concrete mixer spinning round
Though it was not his intent
He got a fine head of cement
When he was building up and tearing England down
I was on the Hydro dam on the day that Pat McCann
Got the better of his stammer in a week
He fell from the shuttering dam
And that poor old stuttering man
He was never ever more inclined to speak
Oh no more like Robin Hood will he roam through Cricklewood
Or dance around the pubs at Camdon Town
Oh but let no man proclaim
Sure no Paddy dies in vain
When they'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 through the concrete cast
Was the face of little Charlie Joe Divine
And the ganger man McGurk said big Paddy hates the work
When the gas main burst and he flew off the ground
Oh they swore he'd send down slack
I'll not be there until I'm back
Keep on building up and tearing England down
So come all you navvy's bold
Do not think that English gold
Is just waiting to be plucked from every sod
Or the likes of you and me will ever get an O.B.E
Or a knighthood for good service to the hod
They've a concrete master race to keep you in your place
And a ganger man to kick you to the ground
(repeat)
If you ever try to take
Part of what the bosses make
When you're building up and tearing England down