SONG: BUILDING UP AND TEARING ENGLAND DOWN
ARTIST: THE DUBLINERS
TAB BY: DON CZARSKI
EMAIL: GUITARZAN7@HOTMAIL.COM
BUILDING UP AND TEARING ENGLAND DOWN
THE DUBLINERS
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
BREAK:
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
BREAK:
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
BREAK:
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
BREAK:
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