McAlpine’s Fusiliers Behan
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Lyrics
Here's a song about the Paddies
The craic was good in Cringlewood
They wouldn't leave the Crown
The glass is flowing and Biddy's crying
The Paddies were going to town
McAlpine went near
And went be, went be train
But Paddy took the great north road and he got there just the same
"Oh mother dear, I'm over here, I never will go back
For what keeps me here, the riech of beer, the lady, and the craic"
As down the glen came McAlpine's men
With their shovels so long behind them
Was in the pub that they drank the sup
And up in the spike you'll find them
They sweated blood and they washed down the mud
With pints and the quarts of beer
And now I head on the road again
With McAlpine's fusiliers
I stripped the skin with Darky Finn
Way down upon the Isle of Grain
With Horseface Toole then I knew the rule
No money if you stop for rain
McAlpine's God was a well filled hod
Your shoulders cut to bits and seared
And woe to he who went to look for tea
With McAlpine's fusiliers
I remember the day that the Bear O'Shea
Fell into a concrete stair
What Horseface said when he saw him dead
Well it wasn't what the rich called prayer
"I'm a navvy short" was the one retort
That breached into my ears
When the going gets rough, well you must be tough
With McAlpine's fusiliers
I worked til the sweat has had me bet
With Russian, Czech, and Pole
On shuddering jams up in the hydro dams
Or underneath the Thames in a hole
I've grafted hard and I've got me card
And many a ganger's fist across me ears
If you pride your life, don't join by Christ
With McAlpine's fusiliers