Lyr req: Cement mixers Lament

Subject: Cement mixers Lament
From: The Sandman
Date: 09 Oct 25 - 12:20 AM

Many years ago about 40 ,i played a folk club in Arundel, and a mancalled Bill HEDGES sang this song. The chorus went shovel up cement shovel up sand let the waters flow, anyone have the lyrics

Subject: RE: Lyr req: Cement mixers Lament
From: cnd
Date: 09 Oct 25 - 08:40 AM

Hey Dick, here's all I can find, from Marconi: Companies and Their People, Vol. 18 No. 11 (June 1968), p. 1 (link)

Since the last report on Goonhilly there has been rapid progress in the erection of the revolving aerial structure of the huge new earth station being built by Marconi for the British Post Office.

The spate of concreteing operations which followed each other in quick succession were handled with a swing, and this chorus to the music of the mixers resounded on the site as knee bent to shovel:

Shovel up cement, shovel up sand, let them overflow
Shovel and swing the chippings in, to make the mixer go ...

The chorus rang as the first 45 tons of mixture was poured into the boxes on Saturday, 4 May, ready for the trial run to elevate the now almost completed reflector backing structure.

Subject: RE: Lyr req: Cement mixers Lament
From: cnd
Date: 09 Oct 25 - 08:41 AM

*** Page 14, not page 1

Subject: RE: Lyr req: Cement mixers Lament
From: cnd
Date: 09 Oct 25 - 08:43 AM

Based on that, I found The Wurzel's recording of a song called The Mixer Man's Lament. Lyrics from here, their Give Me England LP from 1977. The site credits it to Adge Cutler.

The Mixer Man's Lament (Cutler)

Now I was on the chippings boys, Paddy on the sand
Gribble on the mixer, we made a happy band
And we'd swing our shiny shovels boys, swing them to and fro
Work all night with all our might, to make the mixer go

(Chorus)
Shovel of cement, shovel of sand, let the water flow
Shovel and sling the chippings in, to make the mixer go

Our Ganger's name was old Les Stroud, when that fella's dead
We'll bury him in ferrocrete with a toolbox at his head
Cement bag for a pillow, down in the earth so brown
Twenty brawny navvies to hold the blighter down

(Repeat Chorus)

We got the concrete pouring boys, right before our eyes
Till it seem that chimley stack, it soon block out the skies
But when Thursday comes around, boys what did we get
Only five bob bonus for a bucket full of sweat

(Repeat Chorus)

Come on lads young Paddy said, the job is down the pan
Throw your shovels in the air and jack up like a man
So, we threw our shovels in the air, jacked up with a cheer
Spent nigh all our last week’s wage on a belly full of beer

(Repeat Chorus)

The moral of this story boys, must be understood
Don't go near a mixer where the bonus is no good
For heaven they say is very nice, with angels at each hand
Hell is full of Paddy gangers, mixed with stone and sand

(Repeat Chorus x 2)

Subject: RE: Lyr req: Cement mixers Lament
From: cnd
Date: 09 Oct 25 - 08:50 AM

Apparently, the song was first released in 1967 on the Wurzel's live album Adge Cutler & The Wurzels:

Adge of course was already singing many of these songs long before the Wurzels were formed to accompany him and this particular diary even records that he went to BBC Glasgow in December 1965 to perform on their local radio station. By the time this album was recorded all these titles were part of the normal repertoire of the band.

The remaining two songs on the album were The Mixer Man's Lament (reputedly composed by Adge in the late '50s whilst working at a North Wales power station) and 'Virtute Et Industrial ' (written for the Bristol Old Vic Company performing 'Bristol Fashion' in May 1966 with credit given to 'A J Cutler'). ?

The Mixer Man’s Lament

(Chorus)
Shovel of cement, shovel of sand, let the water flow
Shovel and sling the chippings in, to make the mixer go

Now I was on the chippings boys, Paddy on the sand
Weasel on the mixer, we made a happy band
And we'd swing our shiny shovels boys, swing 'em to and fro
Work all night with all our might, to make the mixer go

(Repeat Chorus)

Our ganger's name was ___, when that fellow's dead
We'll bury him in ferrocrete with a gauge box at his head
A cement bag for a pillow, down in the earth so brown
Twenty brawny Navvies boys to hold the blighter down

(Repeat Chorus)

Well we got the concrete pouring boys, right before our eyes
Soon it seem that chimney stack, soon blot out the sky
But when Thursday came around, boys what did we get
Only five bob bonus, for a bucket full of sweat

(Repeat Chorus)

Come on lads, young Paddy said, the job is down the pan
Throw your shovels in the air, jack up like a man!
So, we threw our shovels in the air, jacked up with a cheer
Spent nigh all our next week's wage on a belly full of beer

(Repeat Chorus)

The moral of this story boys, must be understood
Don't go near a mixer where the bonus is no good
For heaven they say is very nice, with angels at each hand
Hell is full of Paddy gangers, mixers stones and sand

(Repeat Chorus)

Subject: RE: Lyr req: Cement mixers Lament
From: cnd
Date: 09 Oct 25 - 08:51 AM

(the above info from https://www.wurzelmania.co.uk/adge-cutler-and-the-wurzels.html)

Subject: RE: Lyr req: Cement mixers Lament
From: The Sandman
Date: 09 Oct 25 - 10:14 AM

Thanks

Subject: RE: Lyr req: Cement mixers Lament
From: Pappy Fiddle
Date: 11 Oct 25 - 08:27 PM

Many years ago I was playing tourist at the Glen Canyon Dam in Arizona. Or was it the Grand Coulee Dam? Anyway, they said that a couple of guys had fallen into the concrete as it was being poured. There was no way to get them out.

Subject: RE: Lyr req: Cement mixers Lament
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 11 Oct 25 - 10:46 PM

there is a great song I don't know called building up and tearing England down. one line it wasn't his intent he had a fine head of cement...

Subject: RE: Lyr req: Cement mixers Lament
From: The Sandman
Date: 12 Oct 25 - 01:30 AM

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
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Building Up and Tearing England Down
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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
it was recorded by the dubliners writer dominic behan