Drill, Ye Tarriers, Drill

"Drill, Ye Tarriers, Drill" is an American folk song first published in 1888 and attributed to Thomas Casey (words) and later Charles Connolly (music). It is listed as number 4401 in the Roud Folk Song Index. The song is a work song, and makes references to the construction of the American railroads in the mid-19th century. The title refers to Irish workers, drilling holes in rock to blast out railroad tunnels. It may mean either to tarry as in delay, or to terrier dogs which dig their quarry out of the ground, or from the French word for an auger, tarière. The song has been recorded by The Chad Mitchell Trio, The Weavers and Makem and Clancy, among many others.

Lyrics
One version runs:

Every morning at seven o'clock There's twenty tarriers a workin at the rock The boss comes along and he says, "Keep still And come down heavy on the cast iron drill."

Chorus: So drill, ye tarriers, drill And drill, ye tarriers, drill Oh it's work all day for the sugar in your tay [i.e. tea] Down beyond the railway So drill, ye tarriers, drill.

Our new foreman is Dan McCann I'll tell you sure, He was a blamed mean man Last week a premature blast went off And a mile in the air went big Jim Goff. [Chorus]

Next time payday comes around Jim Goff was short one buck he found "What for?" asked he, then this reply "You were docked for the time you were up in the sky." [Chorus]

A verse sung by The Easy Riders circa 1956 runs: The boss was a fine man down to the ground And he married a lady six foot round She baked good bread and she baked it well But she baked that bread just as hard as hell