“Jerry, Go and Oil That Car” Sheet Music (pdf).
“Jerry, Go and Oil That Car” Karaoke (midi with lyrics).
Performer: Harry “Haywire Mac” McClintock.
Lyrics: Anonymous.
Tune: Anonymous.
Come all ye railroad section men
And listen to my song.
It is of Larry O’Sullivan
Who now is dead and gone.
For twenty years a section boss,
He never hired a tar.
’Twas “joint ahead” and “center back,”
And “Jerry, go and oil that car.”
For twenty years a section boss,
He worked upon the track,
And be it to his credit,
He never had a wreck,
For he kept every joint right up to the point
With a tap of the tamping bar,
And while the b’ys were shimming up the ties,
’Twas “Jerry, would you oil that car?”
And every Sunday morning
Unto the gang he’d say,
“Me b’ys, prepare ye, be aware,
The old lady goes to church today.
Now I want every man to pump the best he can,
For the distance it is far,
And we have to get in ahead of Number 10,
So, Jerry, go and oil that car.”
’Twas in November in the winter time,
And the ground all covered with snow,
He’d put the hand-car on the track
And over the section go.
With his big soldier coat buttoned up to his throat
All weathers he would dare,
And ’twas “Paddy Mack, would you walk the track?”
And “Jerry, go and oil that car.”
God rest ye, Larry O’Sullivan,
To me ye were kind and good.
Ye always made the section men
Go out and chop me wood,
And fetch me water from the well
And chop me kindling fine,
And any man that wouldn’t lend a hand,
’Twas Larry’d give him his time.
“Give my respects to the Roadmaster,”
Poor Larry he did cry,
“And raise me up that I may see
The old hand-car before I die.
Then lay the spike maul on me chest,
The gage and the old claw bar,
And while the b’ys do be filling up the grave,
Oh, Jerry, would you oil that car?”