Building Up And Tearing England Down lyrics

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

With Fitz Patrick, Murphy Ash and the Wimpy'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 ganger's 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 build in to the new Victoria line

When the bonus gang had passed sticking from a concrete cast

Was the face of little Charlie Joe divine

And the ganger man McGurk said big Paddy ate's the work

When the gasmain blew and he flew off the ground

Oh they swore heed send down slack

I'll not be there until I'm back

Keep on building up and tearing England down

I was on the shuttering dam on the day that Jack 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

And I saw old Balls McColl with a 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

Well his face they've never seen

Since his shovel it cut clean

To the middle of the big high tension wires

Oh the more like Robin Hood well he wrung trough Cricklewood

Or dance around the pubs in Camdon Town

Oh but let no man proclaim sure old Pad' could die in vain

When he's building up and tearing England down

So come all you navvy's bold

Do not think that English gold

Is just waiting to be taken from each sod

By the likes of you and me will never get the O.B.E

Or a knighthood for good service to the hod

It's the concrete master race

That would 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 made

When you're building up and tearing England down

• Artist:The Dubliners