“Section Gang Song”
Description
"Oh, captain, captain, I'm goin' away to leave you (x3), By next payday, oh captain, next payday." The singer talks of work on the section gang, complains about not being paid, and declares that he will leave
Notes
According to Cohen, this is one of only two railroad worksongs released on a commercial 78 (the other being "Track Linin'," which appears to be a version of "Can'cha Line 'Em"). He thinks they may be the earliest worksong recordings of any sort. - RBW
Almost, but not quite; Robert Winslow Gordon was recording sea chanteys in the San Francisco Bay Area in the early 1920s" - PJS
Recordings
- T. C. I. Section Crew, "Section Gang Song" (Paramount 12478, 1927)
References
- Cohen-LSRail, p. 647, "Section Gang Song" (1 text)
- Roud #17785
- BI, LSRai647