Lyrics
1. Eighteen hundred and thirty one,
That’s the year when I begun,
That’s the year when I begun,
A-workin’ on the railroad.
Refrain
Patsy ory ory aye,
Patsy ory ory aye,
Patsy ory ory aye,
A-workin’ on the railroad.
2. Eighteen hundred and thirty-two,
Looking around for something to do,
Looking around for something to do,
A-workin’ on the railroad. Refrain
3. Eighteen hundred and thirty-three,
Section boss a-driving me… Refrain
4. Eighteen hundred and thirty-four,
Hands and feet were getting sore… Refrain
5. Eighteen hundred and thirty-five,
Felt like I was more dead than alive… Refrain
6. Eighteen hundred and thirty-six,
Kicked a couple of dynamite sticks… Refrain
7. Eighteen hundred and thirty-seven,
Found myself on the way to heaven… Refrain
8. Eighteen hundred and thirty-eight,
A-picking the lock in the pearly gate… Refrain
9. Eighteen hundred and thirty-nine,
I found the angels drinking wine,
They gave me a harp and crown divine,
Overlooking the railroad. Refrain
10. Eighteen hundred and thirty-ten,
Found myself on the earth again… Refrain
11. Eighteen hundred and thirty-eleven,
Railroad sent me again to heaven.
It wasn’t no different than thirty-seven,
Or workin’ on the railroad. Refrain
See also
- Subject: train
- Type: ballad
- Form: AB
- Harmony: chords I V
- Meter: 6/8
- Scale: pentachord
- Tones: drmfs
- Source: Songs for Pickin’ and Singin’,James F. Leisy, Fawcett Publications, Inc, 1962
- Different version of song: Paddy Works on the Railway
YouTube
- PDF of song with chords
- MIDI file
- Listen to the melody
