Digital Tradition Mirror

Jerry, Go and Ile that Car

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Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

Jerry, Go and Ile that Car

Come all ye railroad section men
An' listen to my song,
It is of Larry O'Sullivan
Who now is dead and gone.
For twenty years a section boss
Was known both near and far,
Oh it's "J'int ahead and cinter back
An' Jerry, go an' ile that car!"

For twinty years a section boss
He worked upon the traek,
And be it to his cred-i-it,
He niver had a wrack,
For he kept every j'int right up to the p'int
Wid the tap of the tampin?-bar-r;
And while the byes was a-shimmin' up the ties,
It's "Jerry, wud yez ile that car!"

God rest ye, Larry O'Sullivan,
To me ye were kind an' good;
Ye always made the section men
Go out and chop me wood;
An' fetch me wather from the well,
An' cut the kindlin' fine;
And anny man that wudn't lind a han'
'Twas Larry'd give him his time.

And ivery Sunday marn-i-ing
Unto the gang he'd say:
"Me byes, prepare yez be aware
The ould lady goes to church the day.
Now I want ivery man to pump the best that he can,
For the distance it is far-r-r;
An' we have to get in ahead of Number Ten
So, Jerry, go an' ile that car!"

'Twas in November, in the winter time,
An' the ground all covered wid snow,
"Come, putt the hand-car-r on the track,
An' over the section go!"
Wid his big sojer coat buttoned up to his t'roat
All weathers he wud dare
An' it's "Paddy Mack, will yez walk the track,
An' Jerry, go an' ile that car!"

"Give my rispicts to the Roadmas-ther,"
Poor Larry he did cry,
"And lave me up, that I may see
The ould hand-car-r before I die.
Then lay the spike-maul upon his chist,
The gauge an' the ould claw-bar-r,
And while the byes do be fillin' up the grave,
Oh, Jerry, go and ile that car!"

DT #691
Laws H30
RG
oct96

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!