Erie Canal: Lyrics

Traditional

• LP Songs of the Open Road

We were forty miles from Albany,
Forget it, I never shall!
What a terrible storm we had one night
On the E-ri-e Canal.

Chorus:
Oh, the E-ri-e was a-rising,
And gin was getting low,
And I scarcely think
We're gonna get a little drink
Till we get to Buffalo-o-o,
Till we get to Buffalo.

We were loaded down with barley,
We were loaded down with rye,
And the captain, he looked at me
With a gol-durn wicked eye.

Chorus:

The captain he come up on deck
With a spyglass in his hand
But the fog it was so tarn-ol' thick
That he couldn't spy the land

Chorus:

The cook she was a grand ol' gal,
She had a ragged dress.
And we hoisted her upon a pole
As a signal of distress.

Chorus:

Well, the captain, he got married,
And the cook, she went to jail;
And I'm the only son-of-a-gun
That's left to tell the tale.

Of note:

Performed by many, with The Weavers holding first place in my mind, but solid and reliable, as always.

We welcome any suggestions, contributions, or questions. You send it, we'll consider using it. Help us spread the word. And the music. And thanks for visiting.