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Building Up and Tearing England Down Lyrics by The Paranoid Style

A Goddamn Impossible Way of Life

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I won a hero’s name with McAlpine and Costain
With Fitzpatrick, Murphy, Ashe and the Wimpey’s gang
I've been often on the road on my way to draw the dole
When there's nothing left to do for Johnny Laing
And I used to think that God made the mixer, pick and hod
So that Paddy might know hell above the ground
I've had gangers big and tough tell me tear it all out rough
When you're building up and tearing England down
In a tunnel underground a young Limerick man was found
He was built into the New Victoria Line
When the bonus gang had passed, sticking from the concrete cast
Was the face of little Charlie Joe Devine
And the ganger man McGurk said big Paddy hates to work
When the gas main blew and he flew off the ground
Oh, they swore he send down slack, I'll not be there until I'm back
Keep on building up and tearing England down
I was on the hydro dam on the day that Jack McCann
Got the better of his stammer in a week
He fell from the shuttering dam and the poor auld stuttering man
He was never ever more inclined to speak
And I saw auld Bald McCall from the big flyover fall
Into a concrete mixer spinning round
Though it wasn't his intent, he got a fine head of cement
When he was building up and tearing England down
I remember Carrier Jack with his hod upon his back
How he swore one day he'd set the world on fire
But his face they've never seen since his shovel it cut clean
Through the middle of the big high-tension wires
No more like Robin Hood would he roam through Cricklewood
Or dance around the pubs in Camden Town
Oh, but let no man proclaim, sure no Pat can die in vain
When he's building up and tearing England down
So come all you navvies bold, do not think that English gold
Is just waiting to be taken from each sod
Or the likes of you and me will ever get an OBE
Or a knighthood for good service to the hod
They've the concrete master race for to keep you in your place
And a ganger man to kick you to the ground
If you ever try to take part of what the bosses make
When you're building up and tearing England down
Credits
The Paranoid Style

The Paranoid Style

About “Building Up and Tearing England Down” by The Paranoid Style

Read the complete lyrics to "Building Up and Tearing England Down" by The Paranoid Style from the album "A Goddamn Impossible Way of Life". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Rock.

"Building Up and Tearing England Down" is performed by The Paranoid Style. from the album "A Goddamn Impossible Way of Life" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Building Up and Tearing England Down", explore more songs by The Paranoid Style using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Building Up and Tearing England Down" is credited to The Paranoid Style. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Building Up and Tearing England Down" appears on "A Goddamn Impossible Way of Life".

Visit the The Paranoid Style artist page at /artist/the-paranoid-style for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.