Lyr Req: Building Up and Tearing England Down

Subject: Lyr req: Building Up & Tearing England Down
From: Marc B
Date: 13 Mar 98 - 11:43 AM

Hey, folks,

Anybody know the lyrics to a song called "Building Up & Tearing England Down". It's a funny/angry song about Irish construction workers in England. One line is -

I often thought that God made the mixer and the hod That Paddy might see hell above the ground

Thanks. Marc B

Subject: RE: Lyr req: Building Up & Tearing England Down
From: BAZ
Date: 13 Mar 98 - 07:07 PM

I've got this on tape by Noel Murphy. I'll copy out the lyrics over the weekend and post it if no one beats me to it.
Baz

Subject: Lyr Add: BUILDING UP AND TEARING ENGLAND DOWN
From: BAZ
Date: 16 Mar 98 - 06:44 PM

BUILDING UP AND TEARING ENGLAND DOWN
Taken from Noel Murphy's C.D. 'A Session'

I have won the hero's name
With McAlpine and Costain
FitzMurphy Ash and Wimpey's gangs
I've been often on the road
On me way to draw the dole
There's nothing left to do for Johnny Laing
I used to think that God
Made the mixer pick and hod
So that Paddy might know hell above the ground
I've had gangers big and tough
Tell me tales old and rough *
When you're building up and tearing England down.

In the tunnel underground
A young Limmerick man was found
He was built into the New Victoria Line
When the bonus gang had past
Sticking from the concrete cast
Was the face of little Charlie Joe Devine
A ganger named McGirck
Made Paddy hate the work
When a gas-main burst he flew off the ground
Oh they swore he said gone slack
I won't be here untill I'm back
Keep on building up and tearing England down

I remember Jack McCann
That poor old stuttering man
Felt the better for his stammer in a week
And that poor old stuttering man
He fell from a shuttering jam
And was never ever more
Inclined to speak.
No more like Robin Hood will he roam down Cricklewood
Or dance around the pubs of Camden Town
Oh let no man complain
Sure no Pat can die in vain
When you're building up and tearing England down.

I remember Carrier Jack
With his hod upon his back
He swore he'd one day set the world on fire
But his face they'd never seen
Filth! his shovel it cut clean
Through the middle of a big high tension wire
I saw the big McCall
From a big flyover fall
Into a concrete mixer spinning round
O it was not his intent
He got a fine head of cement
While building up and tearing England down.

So come all you navies bold
Who may think that English gold
Is just waiting to be taken from each sod
Or the likes of you and me
Would ever get an O.B.E.
Or a knighthood for good service to the hod
There's a concrete master race
To keep you in your place
And a ganger man to knock 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.
When you're building up and tearing England down.

* Noel seems to sing 'tell me tares ould out rough'
I can't ask him for an explanation as he is away in the north east on some gigs at the moment.)

On his C.D. Noel lists this as traditional and he is pretty careful when researching ownership of material. However, it can't be that old judging by the events and companies described.
I spent some time working on the building sites in London in the early sixties and can vouch for the roughness and the humour in the song.

McAlpine and Costain, FitzMurphy Ash and Wimpey's are or were construction firms in the 60's
New Victoria Line A new underground railway line built in the 60's
Hope this is what you wanted Marc.
Regards Baz

Subject: RE: Lyr req: Building Up & Tearing England Down
From: Håvard
Date: 17 Mar 98 - 12:05 PM

Ronnie Drew (Dubliners: Live in Carre) contributes this song to Dominic Behan (Brother of Brendan, and the man behind similar songs, like "MacAlpine's fusileers"
btw I thing Johnny Laing is a "pet" name for Lord MacAlpine.
Håvard

Subject: RE: Lyr req: Building Up & Tearing England Down
From: Bert
Date: 17 Mar 98 - 03:32 PM

When I was about 12 we had an Irish construction worker living with us for a while.

He said that he was working in a hole when his pick hit a rock and struck a few sparks.
The foreman said "That's England for you Pat".
Pat replied "And this is Ireland - Knocking sparks off of it"

Subject: RE: Lyr req: Building Up & Tearing England Down
From: JohnHill
Date: 16 May 98 - 02:38 PM

The first thing to say about this song is that it is not traditional. It was written by Dominic Behan. It is on The Dubliners' 1983 Album "Prodigal Sons"

The lyrics that have been posted here seem to have the lines mixed between the verses. They certainly don't match the (original?) Dubliners version anyway.

There is no company called "FitzMurphy". The writer seems to be getting muddled between FitzPatrick and Murphy both are large contracting firms and both figure in the song. Bonus is another similar company which is also mentioned.

If anyone needs the words I will transcribe them from the record and post them here. You can get me at [e-mail]

Regards John Hill

Subject: RE: Lyr req: Building Up & Tearing England Down
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 16 May 98 - 06:11 PM

Hi JohnHill- If the words you have are different from what's been posted, why not post them so everyone can see them?

Subject: Lyr Add: BUILDING UP AND TEARING ENGLAND DOWN
From: johnhill
Date: 20 May 98 - 06:28 PM

BUILDING UP AND TEARING ENGLAND DOWN
Dominic Behan

I've won a hero's name
With McAlpine and Costain
With FitzPatrick, Murphy Ash and the Wimpey's gangs
I've been often on the road (1)
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 that Paddy might know hell above the ground
I've had gangers big and tough
Tell me tales old and rough (2)
When you're building up and tearing England down.

In a tunnel underground
A young Limerick man was found
He was built into the New Victoria Line
When the Bonus gang had past
Sticking from the concrete cast
Was the face of little Charlie Joe Devine
And the ganger man McGirck
Said Big Paddy hates the work
When a gas main blew and he flew off the ground
Oh they swore he said gone slack
Won't be here until I'm back
Keep on building up and tearing England down

I was on the shuttering jam
On the day that Jack McCann
Got the better of his stammer in a week
He fell from the shuttering jam
And that poor old stuttering man
He was never ever more inclined to speak.
And I saw old poor McCall
From a big fly-over fall
Into a concrete mixer spinning round
Though 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
For 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 navies 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 O.B.E.
Or a knighthood for good service to the hod
There's a 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.

Notes

1. It's not clear in the 4th line whether it is "I've been off and on the road"
or "I've been often on the road" (pron. offen)
2. I can't make this line out at all. It sounds just like Baz's phonetic description in his notes. I've repeated what Baz put down but it isn't correct. Obviously Ronnie Drew and Noel Murphy must have similar accents

There are one or two other words that I'm not entirely convinced about:
a) "I saw old poor McCall" sounds more like "I saw old balls McCall" but I'd don't think it can be that
b) "Said Big Paddy hate's the work" may not be quite correct
c) "Oh they swore he said gone slack Won't be here until I'm back" This doesn't make any sense so I don't believe this is right either

I'd welcome any comments

I don't know if Dominic Behan is still around. I noticed a record of his for sale today on the 'net dated 1958. I don't think this song is that old. It sounds no earlier than '70's to me

John Hill

Subject: RE: Lyr req: Building Up & Tearing England Down
From:
Date: 21 May 98 - 04:26 PM

Re "Building up & tearing England Down"

My father "Dominic Behan" wrote the song in the late sixties it can be found in one of his two songbooks, "Ireland Sings" or "The Singing Irish" which are available in many libraries.

Regards, Stephen Behan

Subject: RE: Lyr req: Building Up & Tearing England Down
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 21 May 98 - 06:55 PM

G'day All,

Just two comments from the Antipodes:

1) I wonder if this is an example of a "Construction Myth" -

In a tunnel underground A young Limmerick man was found He was built into the New Victoria Line When the Bonus gang had past Sticking from the concrete cast Was the face of little Charlie Joe Devine

In the '60s, I worked on the Snowy Mountains (Hydro Electric) Scheme in New South Wales, Australia. There were always cautionary tales of tunnel workers too slow to get out from behind the slip forms getting trapped in the concrete pour and "... left there, because it would cost too much (or ... put the job behind schedule) to get them out".

When Siobhan McHugh did an Oral History programme for the Australian Broadcasting Commission (and later wrote a book on the subject) she found this story widespread and variant. She did eventually find a verified account of workers trapped by a collapse during a pour where one of them was fatally injured - and trapped in setting concrete to the waist. He was not "left there" but rescuers were unable to get him out of the concrete before he dided.

Siobhan suggests that this is the origin of the tale but this song may point to an international "Navvies' Myth".(Or our "Snowy Mts Myth" may have migrated back to England!)

2) John Hill says: "..."I saw old poor McCall" sounds more like "I saw old balls McCall" but I'd don't think it can be that ...". My experience of the life and language of the Australian big construction game suggests that it is very bloody likely!

Regards,

Bob Bolton