The Dubliners — Building up and tearing england down

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