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Tune Req: mollie Magee

08 Jul 00 - 12:55 AM (#253932)
Subject: mollie Magee
From: GUEST,Jim1951@webtv.net

I'm searching for an old tune sung in the Navy out of San Diego and on board merchant ships. The song was Mollie Magee. The known lyrics start out: "in 18 hundred and 43, that's when I met sweet mollie magee, a pretty young wife she made for me while workin' on the railway followed by a chorus of: fiddle de oree aree aa ,repeated 3 times then followed by: while workin' on the railway. I believe I got the title right. Your help will be greatly appreciated.


08 Jul 00 - 01:47 AM (#253953)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: mollie Magee
From: GUEST,JimmyC

Jim 1951

This another version of "Paddy works on the railway" but with a different and much faster tune. Here are the words that I know, I have the music also which I will forward to you later. A number of artists and groups recorded it. I believe the "Dubliners" have it on one of their albums with Luke Kelly (R.I.P.) handling the vocals.

In 18 hundred and 43
Twas when I met sweet Biddie Magee
What an elegant wife she was to me
While working on the railway

In 18 hundred and 44
I landed on the Liverpool shore
Me belly was empty, me hands were raw
from working on the railway

In 18 hundred and 45
When Daniel O'Connell he was alive
When Daniel O'Connell was alive
and working on the railway

In 18 hundred and 46
I changed my job from carrying bricks
I changed my job from carrying bricks
To work upon the railway

In 18 hundred and 47
Biddy she died and went to heaven
If she left one child she left eleven
To work upon the railway


08 Jul 00 - 02:36 AM (#253964)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: mollie Magee
From: Liz the Squeak

Didn't she go on to have a granddaughter called Bobbi?

LTS ducking and running for cover.....