Pat do this, Pat do that
Without our shoes, without cravat
Nothin' in the world but an old straw hat
To work along the railroad

chorus
  Roog sug-aroo, suga-sugaroo
  Sugar in the cream jar how do you do
  I'm just on the railroad fod-a fod-a-ray
  Johnny come picking on the banjer

Eighteen hundred forty-two
I didn't know what I should do
Sail across the ocean blue
To work upon the railroad

chorus

Eighteen hundred forty-three
I sailed out across the sea
I didn't expect to see poor me
Working on the railroad

chorus

Eighteen hundred forty-four
I landed on a foreign shore
I didn't expect to see me more
Working on the railroad

chorus

Railroad dawn, we'll take a ride
Here we go side by side
Here we go side by side
Johnny comes picking on the banjer

chorus (x2)