Music You Can Read®

"Paddy Works on the Railway"
       
     
"Paddy Works on the Railway"
 


"Paddy Works on the Railway," Lyrics, Text Format



Intermediate syncopation in 6/8 time with the most common
intervals found in a minor tonality (key).

Click to hear melody.
 


Description
 
  • Grade: Fifth

  • Origin: Ireland/USA - Chanty - Railroad Work Song - 1864

  • Key: A minor (pitched in C Major)

  • Time: 6/8

  • Form: AB - verse/refrain

  • Rhythm: intermediate: | ta ti ti ti ti | ta ti ta ti | syncopation, | ta/ ta/ | ti ti ti ta ti | syncopation,
    | ta ti ta/ | syncopation, | ta/ ta ti | syncopation

  • Pitches: beginners: Mi Fa So La Ti Do Re

  • Intervals: intermediate: La\Mi/La (P4), Do\La (m3), La/Do (m3), Re\Ti (m3), Do\So (P4) - perfect fourths and minor thirds are common in minor tonalities (keys)

  • Musical Elements: notes: dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; pickup beat, two double barlines, syncopation, minor tonality (key), verse/refrain; 6/8 time: eighth note receives one beat, divisions of a dotted quarter note: three eights (3 ti's), feeling duple meter (2) in 6/8: where three eights would be a triplet if the beat is represented by a dotted quarter, note: refrain is a variation of phrases found within the verse

  • Key Words: world geography: USA, Ireland; chanty, work chanty, work song, railroad, USA westward expansion, intercontinental railroad, Irish immigrants, railroad workers: track layers, gaugers, spikers, and bolters; 1841, corduroy, breeches (britches), old world, new world, spare, luck, brought, through, stocking, cravat (neck tie), straw hat

  • Recorder: intermediate: minor tonality (key), syncopation in 6/8 time: eighth note receives one beat, divisions of a dotted quarter note: three eights (3 ti's), feeling duple meter (2) in 6/8: where three eights would be a triplet if the beat is represented by a dotted quarter

 
 


"Paddy Works on the Railway"

           
      Verse (solo)    
    1. In eighteen hundred and forty-one
I put my corduroy breeches on,
I put my corduroy breeches on,
To work upon the railway.
   
      Refrain:    
      Fil-li-mee-oo-ree-oo-ree-ay,
Fil-li-mee-oo-ree-oo-ree-ay,
Fil-li-mee-oo-ree-oo-ree-ay,
To work upon the railway.
   
   
2.
In eighteen hundred and forty-two
I left the old world for the new,
Oh, spare me the luck that brought me through
To work upon the railway.
   
      Refrain    
    3. It's "Pat, do this," and "Pat, do that,"
Without a stocking or cravat,
And nothing but an old straw hat,
While working in the railway.
   
      Refrain    
           


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Additional Formats


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"Paddy Works on the Railway," Music Format
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beats

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rhythm

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pitch numbers

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solfeggio

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letter names

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