I've Been Working On The Railroad
Disney (Children's) Lyrics

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I've been working on the railroad
All the live long day
I've been working on the railroad
Just to pass the time away
Don't you hear the whistle blowin'
Rise up so early in the morn
Can't you hear the captain shouting
Dinah blow your horn

Dinah won't you blow
Dinah won't you blow
Dinah won't you blow your ho-o-o-orn
Dinah won't you blow
Dinah won't you blow
Dinah won't you blow your horn
Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah
Someone's in the kitchen I know oh-oh-oh
Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah
Strumming on the old banjo
Fee fi fiddle e I o
Fee fi fiddle e I o-o-o-o
Fee fi fiddle e I o
Strumming on the old banjo
Don't you hear the whistle blowin'
Rise up so early in the morn
Can't you hear the captain shouting
Dinah blow your horn

Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah
Someone's in the kitchen I know oh-oh-oh
Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah
Strumming on the old banjo
Fee fi fiddle e I o
Fee fi fiddle e I o-o-o-o
Fee fi fiddle e I o
Strumming on the old banjo

Strumming on the old banjo
Strumming on the old banjo-o-o

Overall Meaning

The song "I've Been Working on the Railroad" is a popular children's song that is rooted in the traditional American folk song genre. The lyrics describe an individual who has been working on a railroad all day long, seemingly to pass the time. There is a sense of mundane repetition and physical labor in the verses as the singer sings about "working on the railroad all the live long day." However, there is also an element of excitement and anticipation as the singer hears the whistle blowing and the captain shouting for Dinah to blow her horn. Dinah appears to be a well-known figure on the railroad, and the singer's request for her to blow her horn becomes a sort of call-and-response refrain that is repeated several times throughout the song.

In the second half of the song, there is a sudden shift in tone as the focus turns to "someone" who is in the kitchen with Dinah, strumming on an old banjo. This unexpected diversion from the song's original theme adds a touch of humor and whimsy to the otherwise straightforward lyrics. The repetition of the phrase "Fee fi fiddle-e-i-o" further emphasizes the playful nature of this section.

Line by Line Meaning

I've been working on the railroad
I have been laboring on the train tracks

All the live long day
From dawn to dusk

Just to pass the time away
To make the time go by

Don't you hear the whistle blowin'
Do you not hear the sound of the train whistle?

Rise up so early in the morn
Get up early in the morning

Can't you hear the captain shouting
Do you not hear the call of the boss?

Dinah blow your horn
Sound your horn, Dinah

Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah
Someone is in the kitchen with Dinah

Someone's in the kitchen I know oh-oh-oh
I am aware that someone is in the kitchen

Strumming on the old banjo
Playing the old banjo

Fee fi fiddle e I o
Nonsense words with a musical tone