Cecil Sharp (from John Short of Watchet)

He-back, she-back, daddy shot a bear, Shot him in the back, and he never turned a hair, I'm just from the railroad, too-rer-loo, O the old moke picking on the ban-jo
ChorusHoo-roo! What's the matter now? I'm just from the railroad, too-rer-loo I'm just from the railroad, too-rer-loo O the old moke picking on the ban-jo!

Additional verses from Jeff Warner's recording

Roller boys, broiler boys, give her flame and jip Drag the anchor off the mud and let the bastard rip Rock-a-block, chock-a-block, heave the capstan round Fetch the flame and anchor up for we are outward bound Out chocks two blocks, heave away or bust Bend yer back me bully boys, kick up some flame 'n dust Hoo-roo, what's the matter, oh Just from the railroad, too-ra-loo Whiskey-oh, Johnny-oh, the mudhook is in sight Hell of a way to the girls that weight at the old Nantucket light Hack it back, take in the slack, heave away me boys Heave away me bully boys, why don't ya make some noise Hoo-roo, what's the matter, oh Just from the railroad, too-ra-loo

“Moke” is a term used in the British Isles as slang for “donkey”, and probably has some regrettable racist connotations.

Cecil Sharp believed the tune to be a variant of Shule Agra, and Hoo-roo may even be reminiscent of “Shule Agra”; the reference to “the railroad” a memory of Poor Paddy Works on the Railway. Sharp identifies African American influence in both words and melody, and Irish connections may be an incidental attempt to whitewash this connection. This version came to him from John Short of Watchet and Sharp arranged it for piano in 1914.

Stan Hugill is the other chief source, and he provided several additional verses. Hugill wrote that the song “originated by the Negro and Irish work-gangs who laboured on the Iron Road. Some of these songs eventually arrived at sea and [this] was certainly one of them.”

Sheet Music (2 melodies)

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