Building Up And Tearing England Down

INTRO:
A

VERSE:
       A                        D             E
Oh, I won a hero's name with McAlpine and Costain
      A                    D           E       A
With Fitz Patrick, Murphy Ash and the Wimpy's gang

          A                        D               E
I've been often on the road on me way to draw the dole
              A              D       E       A
When there's nothing left to do for Johnny Laing


BDA K:
       F#m                            C#
And I used to think that God made the mixer, pick and hod
     F#m             C#             F#m
So a Paddy might no hell above the ground


VERSE:
LOW E STRING  -2---4-
                       A
             I've had ganger's big and tough
         D                   E
Tell me tear that hole out rough

CHORUS:
             A               D      E        A
When you're building up and tearing England down



VERSE:
      A                           D                E
In a tunnel under ground a young Limerick man was found
        A              D   E        A
He was built into the new Victoria line

          A                              D                 E
When the bonus gang had passed sticking from the concrete cast
         A               D      E     A
Was the face of little Charlie Joe Divine


BDA K:
        F#m                        C#
And the ganger man McGurk said big Paddy hates the work
         F#m               C#               F#m
When the gas main blew and he flew off the ground


VERSE:
LOW E STRING  -2---4-
                       A
              Oh they swore he'd send down slack
                  D              E
And I'll not be there until I'm back

CHORUS:
         A               D      E        A
Keep on building up and tearing England down




VERSE:
      A                             D               E
I was on the shuttering dam on the day that Jack McCann
         A              D     E     A
Got the better of his stammer in a week

         A
He fell from the shuttering dam
          D                   E
And that poor old stuttering man
        A          D      E          A
He was never ever more inclined to speak


BDA K:
      F#m                         C#
And I saw old Balls McColl with a big fly over haul
  F#m           C#             F#m
Into a concrete mixer spinning round


VERSE:
LOW E STRING  -2---4-
                       A
            Though it wasn't his intent
          D              E
He got a fine head of cement

CHORUS:
             A               D      E        A
When he was building up and tearing England down




VERSE:
     A                            D            E
I remember carrier Jack with his hod upon his back
         A                 D        E       A
How he swore one day he'd set the world on fire

          A
Well his face they've never seen
            D             E
Since his shovel it cut clean
        A             D        E       A
To the middle of the big high tension wires


BDA K:
       F#m                           C#
Oh the more like Robin Hood well he wrung trough Cricklewood
    F#m              C#            F#m
Or dance around the pubs in Camdon Town


VERSE:
LOW E STRING  -2---4-
                       A
               Oh but let no man proclaim
          D                 E
Sure old Pad' could die in vain

CHORUS:
           A               D      E        A
When he's building up and tearing England down


INSTRUMENTAL:

A D A E
A D A E A
F#m  D  A  E    A  D  A  E A
F#m  D  A  E    A  D  A  E A
F#m  D  A  E    A  D  A  E A


VERSE:
         A
So come all you navvy's bold
         D                 E
Do not think that English gold
         A             D     E         A
Is just waiting to be taken from each sod

        A                              D         E
By the likes of you and me will never get an O.B.E
       A                  D      E       A
Or a knighthood for good service to the hod


BRIDGE:
          F#m
It's the concrete master race
            C#
That would keep you in your place
      F#m            C#              F#m
And a ganger man to kick you to the ground


VERSE:
LOW E STRING  -2---4-
                      A
               If you ever try to take
         D               E
Part of what the bosses make

CHORUS:
             A               D      E        A
When you're building up and tearing England down