Duffys Cut

 
D 
In the summer of 1832 
A 
The sailing ship John Stamp 
Em                              G 
Tied up into the port of Pennsylvania 
D 
Up the ladder from the cargo deck 
A 
Men and women crept 
Em                   Bm 
Into the open skies above 


D 
Dia is Muire Dhuit agus Failte Romhat 
A 
Duffy’s my name, I cut through stone 
Em 
Work for me, I’m one of your own 
G                     A7 
In dollars I will pay you 


D 
57 men signed up, 
A 
Duffy promised to fill their cup 
Em 
If they cut the Malvern Valley up 
G       Bm                        G   A 
Mile 59 had to be on time for the railway line 


From Ballyshannon and The Glenties 
D 
They sailed right into hell 
D    G                 A 
They suffered like the weeping Christ 
G                      A 
Down Duffy’s Cut they sweat their blood 
Bm               G 
Into his wishing well 

 
D 
Were they taken by the sickness? 
D 
Were they hunted down like scum? 
D         G             A 
Was there poison in the water? 
A      G          A 
Was it cholera or murder? 
Bm                     G 
The smoke that hid the bullets 
G        D                    G  Bm  A 
From the barrel of the boss’s g  u   n 

Instrumental: G Bm G Bm G Bm A A7 

 
D 
The Blacksmith and the Holy Sisters 
A 
Good people through and through 
Em 
Whispered prayers into the victim’s ears 
G 
It’s all that they could do 

 
D                       A 
How come the bosses had silence on their lips 
A      Em               G 
As 57 Irish Navies were buried in a pit 
A                      Em 
No stone to mark their resting place 
Bm                    G   A 
No one to mourn their passing 

 
A         D 
From Ballyshannon and The Glenties 
D 
They sailed right into hell 
D    G                 A 
They suffered like the weeping Christ 
G                      A 
Down Duffy’s Cut they sweat their blood 
Bm               G 
Into his wishing well 

 
D 
Were they taken by the sickness? 
D 
Were they hunted down like scum? 
D         G             A 
Was there poison in the water? 
A      G          A 
Was it cholera or murder? 
Bm                     G 
The smoke that hid the bullets 
G        D                    G  Bm  A 
From the barrel of the boss’s g  u   n 

Outro:
A         D 
From Ballyshannon and The Glenties 
D 
They sailed right into hell 
D    G                 A 
They suffered like the weeping Christ 
G                      A 
Down Duffy’s Cut they sweat their blood 
Bm               G 
Into his wishing well 
D                G Bm A 
Into his wishing w e  ll