{"id":1281,"date":"2020-02-28T09:14:08","date_gmt":"2020-02-28T09:14:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=1281"},"modified":"2020-10-25T17:05:42","modified_gmt":"2020-10-25T17:05:42","slug":"pat-works-on-the-railway","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/pat-works-on-the-railway\/","title":{"rendered":"Pat works on the railway"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td>Paddy works on the railway
Paddy works on the railroad<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Lyrics<\/strong><\/td>JB Geoghegan<\/td>Music<\/strong><\/td> JB Goeghegan<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>208<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Music Hall performers<\/strong><\/td>JB Geoghegan<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>too many to mention!!<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
As sung by Cisco Houston<\/strong>\n\nIn eighteen hundred and forty one\nThey put me corduroy britches on\nThey put me corduroy britches on\nTo work upon the railway.\n\nFilli-me-oo-ree-aye-ree-ay\nFilli-me-oo-ree-aye-ree-ay\nFilli-me-oo-ree-aye-ree-ay\nTo work upon the railway.<\/em>\n\nNow in eighteen hundred and forty-two\nI left the old world for the new\nBad cess to the luck that brought me through\nTo work upon the railway.\n\nWell, it's pat do this and pat do that,\nWithout a stocking or cravat\nAnd nothing for an old straw hat\nWhile working on the railway.\n\nNow in eighteen hundred and forty-three,\nTwas then i met sweet biddy mcgee.\nAh, an elegant wife she's been to me,\nWhile working on the railway.\n\nNow in eighteen hundred and forty-seven\nSweet biddie mcgee she went to heaven\nIf she left one child she left eleven\nTo work upon the railway.\n\nNow in eighteen hundred and forty-eight\nI learned to drink me whiskey straight\nIt's an elegant drink that can't be beat\nFor working on the railway.\n \n\n<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
This is a song appears regularly in the repertoire of both North American and British folk singers, sometimes as a shanty. It is often referred to as being “traditional” or written by an anonymous author. However there is some evidence that it was originally written and\/or performed by JB Geoghegan,.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
 Norman Cazden in Folksongs of the Catskills suggests a song of this name “was popularised by the Irish stage singer JB Geoghegan” and that sheet music was published by Oliver Ditson in Boston 1854-56. I have not been able to find a copy of this\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We know that JB Geoghegan<\/a> came from Salford, and lived in the North of England for most of his life. I can find no evidence that he visited America, but he may well have performed this song in a way which played up the stereotypes of Irish labourers which were prevalent at the time. It may be this which led him to being described as “an Irish stage singer”.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I have found articles in British newspapers showing that a song called Paddy on the Railway <\/em>was being sung by amateur and professional singers from the beginning of the 1860s. I have at least one report of it being sung as a sailor’s work song . The earliest reference I can find is 1858, from the evidence presented at a prosecution of an unlicensed Music Hall:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Morning Chronicle (London) Dec 27 1858<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n