McAlpine's Fusiliers
The Dubliners Lyrics
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With their shovels slung behind them
'Twas in the pub they drank the sub
And up in the spike you'll find them
They sweated blood and they washed down mud
With pints and quarts of beer
And now we're on the road again
With McAlpine's fusiliers
I stripped to the skin with Darky Finn
Way down upon the Isle of Grain
With the 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 to looks for tea
With McAlpine's fusiliers
I remember the day that the Bear O'Shea
Fell into a concrete stairs
What the Horseface said, when he saw him dead
Well, it wasn't what the rich call prayers
I'm a navvy short was the one retort
That reached unto my ears
When the going is rough, well you must be tough
With McAlpine's fusiliers
I've worked 'till 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 grafted hard and I've got me cards
And many a ganger's fist across me ears
If you pride your life, don't join by Christ
With McAlpine's fusiliers
The Dubliners's McAlpine's Fusiliers is a song that tells the story of the physical and emotional challenges navvies faced while building roads, bridges, and infrastructure. It transports the listeners back to the time when hard manual labor formed the backbone of the construction industry. The first verse of the song talks about a group of workmen who are beginning their day's work in good spirits. They wash down mud and sweat with pints and quarts of beer, a reminder that alcohol was frequently used by the workers to alleviate the discomfort and pain associated with their grueling jobs. The second verse, on the contrary, is about the leaders who are exploiting their laborers. They treat their workers as nothing more than machines, and when they inevitably break down, they are unceremoniously replaced. The verse that follows talks about a single fatal incident that occurred on a McAlpine construction site. The last verse implores the listener not to get involved with this type of work or walk away from it if one has, urging them to value their life.
Line by Line Meaning
As down the glen came McAlpine's men
McAlpine's work crew walked down the valley
With their shovels slung behind them
They had shovels hanging on their backs
'Twas in the pub they drank the sub
McAlpine's men drank their compensation in a bar
And up in the spike you'll find them
They could be found sleeping in the workhouse for the night
They sweated blood and they washed down mud
They worked tremendously hard and drank beer to refresh themselves
With pints and quarts of beer
They drank many large glasses of beer
And now we're on the road again
They are traveling to the next job site
With McAlpine's fusiliers
McAlpine's employees are with them
I stripped to the skin with Darky Flynn
I worked shirtless with Darky Flynn
Way down upon the Isle of Grain
This location was on the Isle of Grain
With the Horseface Toole then I knew the rule
Horseface Toole taught me the following lesson
No money if you stop for rain
You won't get paid if you pause work because of rain
McAlpine's God was a well filled hod
McAlpine's main priority was a hod filled with material
Your shoulders cut to bits and seared
The weight of the material caused your shoulders to feel pain
And woe to he who to looks for tea
Anyone hoping for a tea break will be disappointed
With McAlpine's fusiliers
This work style is only for McAlpine's staff
I remember the day that the Bear O'Shea
I have a clear memory of the day when Bear O'Shea
Fell into a concrete stairs
Tripped and fell onto the concrete staircase
What the Horseface said, when he saw him dead
Horseface's response to Bear O'Shea's death
Well, it wasn't what the rich call prayers
Horseface's response was not a religious prayer as used by wealthy people
I'm a navvy short was the one retort
When someone inquires about Bear O'Shea, the answer received is
That reached unto my ears
This is the message I heard
When the going is rough, well you must be tough
If there are hardships, one must be resilient
With McAlpine's fusiliers
This is only for McAlpine's staff
I've worked 'till the sweat has had me bet
I have worked incredibly hard until my sweat had me exhausted
With Russian, Czech and Pole
I worked alongside laborers from Russia, Czech Republic, and Poland
On shuddering jams up in the hydro dams
I worked on unstable material in hydroelectric dams
Or underneath the Thames in a hole
I worked in the excavated pits beneath the Thames River
I grafted hard and I've got me cards
I worked with dedication and earned my credentials
And many a ganger's fist across me ears
I've been punched by many angry supervisors
If you pride your life, don't join by Christ
If you value your life, do not take this profession
With McAlpine's fusiliers
This type of labor only exists among McAlpine's staff
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Ronald Joseph Drew, Barney McKenna, John Edmund Sheehan, Luke Kelly, Ciaran Bourke, Robert Lynch
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jimkennedy7385
Great song from Ronnie and always reminds me of my old dad Michael Kennedy (Sligo) He worked for Wimpeys on the construction of London Airport where he met my mother Mary Whelan (Cork) who ran a food and tea van for the workers. The Irish rebuilt London after the war with their hard labour and resilience. I worked on a McAlpine job myself in the seventies and met many great old Irish workers who were the subject of this great song. When the going gets rough call in the Irish. ☘️
@Zurzi
Brilliant
@eoinfitzpatrick7830
Was mcalpine as bad as the say
@user-hd8fj2mb5p
Wonderful band. Wonderful characters. How we miss them. ❤
@johnallright6847
Great music from a rare band of true musicians.
@oldmate1342
"If you pride your life, don't join BY CHRIST, with McAlpines Fusiliers" So good
@jamesmcmenamin-yz8ti
A superb band, and one of there best song. 👍
@ValdemarC4005
Jeez Mckenna goes insanemode on his banjo in this version💥🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪
@Domitianvs
That was just his default setting. Thankfully I got to see him live before he passed, and I'll always remember him shuffling on stage and then just playing the absolute hell out of that banjo!
@oscaraiken5484
I was just thinking how insane the banjo sounds.