Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Song of the Day

We of the office declared today's song to be "Drill, Ye, Tarriers, Drill." Not, actually, because of the drilling, but because I wanted sugar in my tay.

Every morning about seven o'clock
There were twenty tarriers drilling at the rock
The boss comes along and he says, "Keep still
And bear down heavy on the cast iron drill."

And drill, ye tarriers, drill
Drill, ye tarriers, drill
For it's work all day for the sugar in your tay
Down beyond the railway
And drill, ye tarriers, drill
And blast, and fire.

The boss was a fine man down to the ground
And he married a lady six feet 'round
She baked good bread and she baked it well
But she baked it harder than the hobs of Hell.

The foreman's name was John McCann
He cert'ly was a blamed mean man.
Last week a premature blast went off
And a mile in the air went big Jim Goff.

And when next payday came around
Jim Goff a dollar short was found
When he asked, "What for?" came this reply
"You were docked for the time you were up in the sky."

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

what exactly is a tarrier in context? Someone who tarries?

Pinon Coffee said...

You know, I haven't got the faintest idea.

If so, though, the song certainly can't refer to us...we're much too diligent! Especially you!

Anybody know what a tarrier is?

Anonymous said...

The song's historical context is that of Irish workers building the transcontinental railroad. The "tarrier" is the Irish worker. I don't recall more details than that. I learned about it years ago.

Pinon Coffee said...

I am confirmed in my suspicion that V-Dawg knows, or has known, very nearly everything--almost as much as Dr. Smith. :-) Thanks.