10. Poor Paddy Works on the Railway
(trad)

Poor old Paddy. But thanks to folks like him I can get the 9.36 to Glasgow and be back home before midday. Great to hear Jore singing about Hartlepool, Crewe, Leeds, Selby & Liverpool. This wasn't a song I was familiar with - so it was nice to hear a new folk song. I thought the lyric was 'dodging bitches' at first (perfectly understandable in my experience) - but it's 'pitches' he's dodging - just my bad mind as usual. --Davy

While driving on my bus with radio on I heard heavy drummered rock tune and start to think about this track - for God knows what reasons. I had heard only Dubliners version of it before. I wanted to keep the rhythm all the way through, even at the slow parts. My apologies! --Jore

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In eighteen hundred and forty-one
The corduroy breeches I put on
Me corduroy breeches I put on
To work upon the railway, the railway
I'm weary of the railway
Poor Paddy works on the railway

In eighteen hundred and forty-two
From Hartlepool I moved to Crewe
Found myself a job to do
A working on the railway

I was wearing corduroy breeches,
Digging ditches, pulling switches
Dodging pitches, as I was
Working on the railway

In eighteen hundred and forty-three
I broke the shovel across me knee
I went to work for the company
On the Leeds to Selby Railway

I was wearing...

In eighteen hundred and forty-four
I landed on the Liverpool shore
My belly was empty me hands were raw
With working on the railway, the railway
I'm weary of the railway
Poor Paddy works on the railway

In eighteen hundred and forty-five
When Daniel O'Connell he was alive
When Daniel O'Connell he was alive
And working on the railway

I was wearing...

In eighteen hundred and forty-six
I changed my trade from carrying bricks
I changed my trade from carrying bricks
To working on the railway

I was wearing...

In eighteen hundred and forty-seven
Poor Paddy was thinking of going to heaven
Paddy was thinking of going to heaven
To work upon the railway, the railway
I'm weary of the railway
Poor Paddy works on the railway

I was wearing...