Lyr Req: Where Do You Work-a, John?

Subject: Lyrics Wanted to an Old Railroad Song
From: Denise
Date: 28 Jul 99 - 11:44 AM

I am still searching for the lyrics to an old Railroad song about the Delaware Lackawanna. It is a song about a "gandy dancer" named John. It was very popular in the early 30's. There was sheet music for it. My mother had the music and used to play it on the piano. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Denise

Subject: RE: Lyrics Wanted to an Old Railroad Song
From: Art Thieme
Date: 28 Jul 99 - 11:58 AM

Denise,

I've got it! Just can't dig it out. I do have it on tape by 2 different people. Fred Waring and the Pensylvanians & someone else... If nobody posts it first, I'll get to it this afternoon.

Art

Subject: RE: Lyrics Wanted to an Old Railroad Song
From: Susan of DT
Date: 28 Jul 99 - 01:31 PM

Where do you work-a John?
On the Delaware Lackawan
What do you do-a John?
I push, I push, I push
What do you push-a John?
I push, I push a broom

Surely this isn't what you want.

Subject: RE: Lyrics Wanted to an Old Railroad Song
From: Art Thieme
Date: 28 Jul 99 - 11:38 PM

Where do you work-a John?
On the Delaware Lackawan.
What do you do-a John?
I push, I push, I push.
What do ya push-a John?
I push-a, push-a da broom.
Where do ya push-a John?
On the Delaware Lackawan, awan, awan, awan,
On the Delaware Lackawan.

Where do you you work-a John?
On the Delaware Lackawan.
What do you do-a John?
I push, I push, I push.
What do ya push-a John?
I push-a, I push-a da drum...

Then substitute the word "truck" for "broom".

Chorus)
Some think the world was made for nothin' but pushin',
And so do I, and so do I.

Where do ya work-a Wop?
On the Washington Monument's top.
What do ya do-a Wop?
I push a mop at the top.
I thought they fell.
They fell like a push.

Where do ya work-a Joe?
I push-a da slide trombone...,

Where do ya work-a Zack?
I work on da railroad track.
I push-a, I push-a da spike...

Where do ya work-a Pete?
I work on da city streets...

Where do ya work-a Joe?
I really can't say you know.
Don't you push-a Joe?
Strike me pink, but I don't know...

Where do you work Marie?
At the opera company.
What do ya do Marie?
I push, I push, I push,
What do ya push Marie?
I push, I push high-C.
Where do ya push Marie?
At the opera company, ny, ny, ny, ny,
At the opera company...

(I hope this is what you want. It's pretty strange. Good though!)

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Lyrics Wanted to an Old Railroad Song
From: Dani
Date: 29 Jul 99 - 08:18 AM

Subject: RE: Lyrics Wanted to an Old Railroad Song
From: Dani
Date: 29 Jul 99 - 08:21 AM

Art, please lead me to a recording? I would LOVE to learn this song. It seems simple/silly but it's so evocative. It makes me think of my grandfather, getting up in the cold dark to go to work on the Penna. RR. Again. Again. Again.

Subject: RE: Lyrics Wanted to an Old Railroad Song
From: Denise
Date: 29 Jul 99 - 09:33 AM

Thank you Art and Susan. Those are basically some of the words I was looking for. Although my John pushed a handle down because he was a gandy dancer. I don't recall anything about a broom or a mop. He worked on the Railroad hand car and that is what the song was about. Do you know any sites on the internet where you can look up old sheet music? I have used several different search engines and phrases and can't seem to find anything. The sheet music had a picture of a hand cart with a very mustacheioed man (the stero type of an Italian) pushing the handle up and down.

Thanks again for your help. Denise

Subject: Lyr Add: WHERE DO YOU WORK-A, JOHN? (PUSH-A PUSH-A
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 21 Apr 05 - 10:33 PM

Copied from http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0584.htm

WHERE DO YOU WORK-A, JOHN? (PUSH-A PUSH-A PUSH) (THE "DELAWARE-LACKAWAN" SONG)
Lyric: Mortimer Weinberg & Charley Marks
Additional lyrics: Ernie Krickett
Music: Harry Warren
Year: 1926
Original publisher: Shapiro, Bernstein & Co., Inc.

VERSE: Long time ago, John and-a Joe
Come from sunny Italy
To-a try-a to get-a the dough.
Joe go away, John he's-a stay,
When they meet the other day,
Here's-a what-a they got-a to say:

CHORUS 1: Where do you work-a, John?
On the Delaware Lackawan.
What do you do-a, John?
I push-a, push-a, push.
What do you push-a, John?
I push, I push-a da truck,
Where do you push-a, John?
On the Delaware Lackawan-awan-awan-awan,
The Delaware Lackawan.
Ah-ah-ah! Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah! Ah-ah-ah!

CHORUS 2: Where do you work, Marie?
In the telephone company.
What do you do, Marie?
I push-a, push-a, push.
What do you push, Marie?
I push, I push-a da plug,
Where do you push, Marie?
In the telephone company-anee-anee-anee,
The telephone company.
Ah-ah-ah! Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah! Ah-ah-ah!

CHORUS 3 (OPTIONAL): Where do you work-a, Wop?
In da big-a da barber shop.
What do you do-a, Wop?
I strop-a, strop-a, strop.
What do you strop-a, Wop?
I strop da raze on da strop,
Where do you strop-a, Wop?
In da big-a da barber shop-da, shop-da, shop-da, shop,
Da big-a da barber shop.
Ah-ah-ah! Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah! Ah-ah-ah!

CHORUS 4 (OPTIONAL): Where do you work-a, Tess?
On-a Broadway on da west,
What do you do-a, Tess?
I press-a, press-a, press.
What do you press-a, Tess?
I press, I press-a da dress,
Where do you press-a, Tess?
On-a Broadway on da west-da, west-da, west-da, west,
On Broadway on da west.
Ah-ah-ah! Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah! Ah-ah-ah!

CHORUS 5 (OPTIONAL): Where do you work-a, Joe?
For the city I shovel snow,
What do you do-a, Joe?
I push-a, push-a, push.
What do you push-a, Joe?
I push, I push-a da shov'
Where do you push-a, Joe?
For the city I shovel snow, o-oh, o-oh, o-oh,
The city I shovel snow.
Ah-ah-ah! Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah! Ah-ah-ah!

CHORUS 6 (OPTIONAL): Where do you work-a, Jerry?
On the Lackawanna ferry,
What do you do-a, Jerry?
I push-a, push-a, push.
What do you push-a, Jerry?
I push, I push-a da gates,
Where do you push, Jerry?
On the Lackawanna ferry-da, ferry-da, ferry-da, ferry,
The Lackawanna ferry.
Ah-ah-ah! Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah! Ah-ah-ah!

CHORUS 7 (OPTIONAL): Where do you work-a, Gus?
On da big-a da Jitney bus.
What do you do-a, Gus?
I push-a, push-a, push.
What do you push-a, Gus?
I push, I push-a da clutch,
Where do you push-a, Gus?
On da big-a da Jitney bus-da, bus-da, bus-da, bus,
Da big-a da Jitney bus.
Ah-ah-ah! Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah! Ah-ah-ah!

ITALIAN CHORUS (OPTIONAL): Addo fatiche, Giuvan'?
Mi work in da Laccuan'
I nun te capisco, Giuvan'?
Mi pusce, mi pusce, mi pusce.
Ma tu che pusce, Giuvan'?
Mi pusce, mi pusce di trocco,
*(Ueni minuzz') Giuvan'?
Porta me pur a puscia-puscia-puscia-Giuvan',
E porta a me a puscia.
Ah-ah-ah! Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah! Ah-ah-ah!

*- (Aggio pacienze)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Where Do You Work-a, John?
From: GUEST,Kel
Date: 11 May 11 - 06:08 PM

I have that picture with the lyrics. Is it worth anything?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Where Do You Work-a, John?
From: GUEST,999
Date: 12 May 11 - 05:46 PM

It`s worth a thousand words.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Where Do You Work-a, John?
From: GUEST,Claire
Date: 27 Dec 13 - 09:16 AM

I remember that John pushed a truck.

The Marie one was:

Where do you work Marie?
At the telephone company
What do you do Marie
I push I push the plug
Where do you push the plug?
At the telephone company, anee, anee, anee
At the telephone company.