MCALPINE'S FUSILIERS (Spoken) 'Twas in the year of 'thirty-nine When the sky was full of lead When Hitler was heading for Poland And Paddy, for Holyhead. Come all you pincher laddies And you long-distance men Don't ever work for McAlpine For Wimpey, or John Laing You'll stand behind a mixer Until your skin is turned to tan And they'll say, Good on you, Paddy With your boat-fare in your hand. Oh,the craic was good in Cricklewood And they wouldn't leave the Crown With glasses flying and Biddys crying 'Cause Paddy was going to town. Oh mother dear, I'm over here And I'm never coming back What keeps me here is the reek o' beer The ladies and the craic. I come from county Kerry The land of eggs and bacon And if you think I'll eat your fish 'n' chips Oh dear then you're mistaken.

As^A down the glen came Mc^DAlpines men With their^A shovels^E slung be^Ahind them

'Twas^A in a pub that they^D drank^E their^D sub And out in the^A spike you'll^D find them

They^A sweeted blood and they^D washed^E down ^Dmud With pints and^A quarts of^D beer

And^A now we're on the^D road again With Mc^AAlpines^E Fusi^Alers

I ^A stripped to the skin with the ^Ddarkie Finn Way ^Adown upon ^E the Isle ^A Of Grain

With ^A horse face ^D Toole we ^E knew the ^D rule No money if ^A you stop for ^D rain

Mc^AAlpines God was a ^D well ^E filled ^D hod Your shoulders cut to ^A bits and ^D seared

And ^A woe to he went to ^D look for tea With Mc^DAlpines ^E Fusi^Aliers

I ^A remember the day when the ^D Bear O' Shea Fell ^A into a ^E concrete ^A stairs

What ^A horse face ^D said when he ^E saw him ^D dead It wasn't what the ^A rich called ^D prayers

I'm ^A a navvy short ^D was the ^E one ^D retort That reached ^A onto my ^D ears

When the ^A going gets rough then you must ^D be tough With Mc^DAlpines ^E Fusi^Aliers

INSTRUMENTAL - same as verse

I've ^A worked till the sweat nearly ^D had me bet With ^A Russian ^E Czech and ^A Pole

On ^A shuddering ^Djams up in ^E the hydro ^D dams Or underneath the ^A Thames in ^D a hole

I ^A grafted ^D hard and I ^E got me ^D cards And many a ^A gangers fist across me ^D ears

If you ^A pride your life dont join ^D by cripes With Mc^DAlpines ^E Fusi^Aliers

Dubliners - Mcalpine's fusiliers