Building Up And Tearing England Down

(album: Prodigal Sons - 1983)

Oh, I won a hero's name with McAlpine and Costain
With Fitz Patrick, Murphy Ash and the Wimpy'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 ganger's 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 build in to the new Victoria line
When the bonus gang had passed sticking from a concrete cast
Was the face of little Charlie Joe divine
And the ganger man McGurk said big Paddy ate's the work
When the gasmain blew and he flew off the ground
Oh they swore heed send down slack
I'll not be there until I'm back
Keep on building up and tearing England down

I was on the shuttering dam on the day that Jack McCann
Got the better of his stammer in a week
He fell from the shuttering dam
And that poor old stuttering man
He was never ever more inclined to speak
And I saw old Balls McColl with a 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

I remember carrier Jack with his hod upon his back
How he swore one day he'd set the world on fire
Well his face they've never seen
Since his shovel it cut clean
To the middle of the big high tension wires
Oh the more like Robin Hood well he wrung trough Cricklewood
Or dance around the pubs in Camdon Town
Oh but let no man proclaim sure old Pad' could die in vain
When he's building up and tearing England down

So come all you navvy's bold
Do not think that English gold
Is just waiting to be taken from each sod
By the likes of you and me will never get the O.B.E
Or a knighthood for good service to the hod
It's the concrete master race
That would 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 made
When you're building up and tearing England down