Building Up And Tearing England Down The Dubliners

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