This song is available on Phil Rosenthal's This Land Is Your Land.

The Erie Canal was completed in 1825, and before long thousands of barges, pulled by horses or mules, made the 425-mile trip between Albany and Buffalo. Dozens of songs were written and sung by the crews -- this was one of the most popular.

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 the gin was a-gettin' low. 
And I scarcely think we'll get a drink 
'Till we get to Buff-a-lo-o-o 
'Till we get to Buffalo.

We were loaded down with barley 
We were chock-full up on rye. 
The captain he looked down at me 
With his goll-darned wicked eye.

Chorus

Well, two days out of Syracuse 
The vessel struck a shoal; 
We like to all be drownded 
On a chunk o' Lackawanna coal.

Chorus

We hollered to the captain 
On the towpath, treadin' dirt 
He jumped on board and stopped the leak 
With his old red flannel shirt.

Chorus

The cook she was a grand old gal 
Stood six foot in her socks. 
Had a foot just like an elephant 
And her breath would open locks.

Chorus

The wind begins to whistle 
The waves begin to roll 
We had to reef our royals 
On that ragin' canal.

Chorus

The cook came to our rescue 
She had a ragged dress; 
We hoisted her upon the pole
As a signal of distress.

Chorus

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.

See more of our Geography Song Lyrics

Lyrics and background courtesy of Phil Rosenthal.

Geography Songs