Traditional Sea Shanties & Sea Songs
Paddy Works on the Railway

A Collection of lyrics for traditional Sea Shanties & Songs of the Sea.

Paddy Works on the Railway

O, in eighteen hundred and forty one,
My corduroy breeches I put on,
My time was nearly done,
To work upon the railway, the railway,
Im weary of the railway,
O, poor Paddy work on the railway.

2. O, in eighteen hundred and forty two,
My corduroy breeches then were new,
I did not know what I should do.
To work upon the railway, the railway,
Im weary of the railway,
O, poor Paddy work on the railway.

3. O, in eighteen hundred and forty three,
I sailed away across the sea,
I sailed away to Amerikee.
To work upon the railway, the railway,
Im weary of the railway,
O, poor Paddy work on the railway.

4. O, in eighteen hundred and forty four,
I landed on the Columbia shore,
I had a pick-ax and nothing more.
To work upon the railway, the railway,
Im weary of the railway,
O, poor Paddy work on the railway.

5. O, in eighteen hundred and forty five,
When Dan O'Connelly was still alive,
I worked in a railway hive.
To work upon the railway, the railway,
Im weary of the railway,
O, poor Paddy work on the railway.

6. O, in eighteen hundred and forty six,
I found myself in a hell of a fix;
I changed my job to toting bricks.
To work upon the railway, the railway,
Im weary of the railway,
O, poor Paddy work on the railway.

7. O, in eighteen hundred and forty seven,
When Dan O'Connelly went to heaven,
Little Paddy was going on eleven.
To work upon the railway, the railway,
Im weary of the railway,
O, poor Paddy work on the railway.

8. O, in eighteen hundred and forty eight,
I found myself bound for the Golden Gate,
Gold was found in the western state.
To work upon the railway, the railway,
Im weary of the railway,
O, poor Paddy work on the railway.

9. O, in eighteen hundred and forty nine,
I passed my time in the Black Ball Line.
And that's the end of my monkeyshine.
To work upon the railway, the railway,
Im weary of the railway,
O, poor Paddy work on the railway.