How 'bout an Irish Train Song?

Are You Right There Michael?
By Percy French

[Verse 1] You've heard of Columbus's sailin'
Across the Atlantical sea
But he never tried to go railin'
From Ennis as far as Kilkee.

You rush for the train in the mornin'
The excursion that's leavin' at eight
You're there when the guard gives the warnin'
And there for an hour you will wait.

[Refrain] Are you right there Michael, are you right?
Do you think that we'll be there before the night?

Well, we've been so long in startin'
That I couldn't say for certain
But we might now Michael, so we might.

[Verse 2] They find out where the engine's been hidin'
And soon you will reach Currofin
Where the train it backs down to a sidin'
There's a goods from Kilrush comin' in.
Perhaps she'll be in in two hours
Perhaps she'll break down on the way.
If she does says the guard, by the powers
We'll be here for the rest of the day.
And as you sit & curse your luck
The train backs down into a truck


[Refrain] Are you right there Michael, are you right?
Have you got the parcel there for Mrs. White?
You haven't? Well begorrah, say it's comin' down tomorra'
And it might now Michael, so it might.

There are four or five verses in all but that's all I can remember. The Railway in question was the West Clare railway, and I believe that one of their drivers sued French for defamation. Wherever he went people used to sing the song or whistle the tune! I don't know if he won the case.

HTML line breaks added. -JoeClone 26-Mar-01.