It's first when I set out on tramp I was but very young, My mind was bent on merriment, On joy, and on fun: My mind was bent on merriment, And ne'er could give it o'er, For still my mind was quite content On Paddy's green Shamrock shore. With my laddy fal de de, With my laddie fal de do With my laddy fal de de, We are navvy boys, you know. When I became a navvy I own I was dismayed, To see our noble hacksmen1) On them a while I gazed, Likewise our noble barrow-men, Who ne'er could give it o'er, In hopes that they would meet again On Paddy's green Shamrock shore. On Monday morn when we go out Our work to begin, The noise of our tools, brave boys, Does make the valleys ring; We will drive our piles and bore our holes, By one, by two, by four-- The best of our navigators come From Paddy's green Shamrock shore. |
When the rain it does come on we are Happy then as kings, We are off into the ale-house, And the bell then loudly rings, We call for liquor of the best, And our bumpers they run o'er, The very first toast that we drink Is Paddy's green Shamrock shore. When we meet a bad landlady, The truth to you I tell, We do our whole endeavours It's for to please her well; But at the pay we slope her2), As we've oft done before, And with her money drink a health To Paddy's green Shamrock shore. When we meet a bonny lass We give to her a kiss, We take her in our arms, my boys, I own it is no miss; We take her in our arms, And kiss her o'er and o'er, But still the one that we like best is On Paddy's green Shamrock shore. Come all you roving navvys That listen to my song, I hope you'll not be angry If I've said anything wrong; I own I am a navvy bold, The truth I will deplore, Many a happy day I spent On Paddy's green Shamrock shore. |
1) sub-contractors, 2)leave without paying. People who are unemployed, are those that wish to work, whereas beggars have a trade of a kind, which is sometimes envied by those in conventional occupations because of what they fancy to be its untrammelled nature. This is why itinerant tradesmen were often envied, especially since they were thought to take advantage of their travels for amorous adventures. Among other mobile workers of the nineteenth century were the navvies, who prided themselves on their prowess both at work and at play. |
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