Erie Canal Songtext
von Pete Seeger

We were 40 miles from Albany
Forget it I never shall
What a terrible storm we had one night
On the E-R-I-E canal
Oh, the E-R-I-E was rising
And gin was getting low
I scarcely think we′ll get a drink
'Til we get to Buffalo
′Til we get to Buffalo
We were loaded down with barley
We were chuck full up on rye
The captain, he looked down on me
With his gol-durn wicked eye
Oh, the E-R-I-E was rising
And gin was getting low
An' I scarcely think we'll get a drink
′Til we get to Buffalo
′Til we get to Buffalo


Two days out from Syracuse
The vessel struck a shoal
We like to all been foundered
On a chunk o' Lackawanna coal
Oh, the E-R-I-E was rising
And gin was getting low
An′ I scarcely think we'll get a drink
′Til we get to Buffalo
'Til we get to Buffalo

We hollered to the captain
On the towpath, treadin′ dirt
He jumped on board and stopped the leak
With his old red flannel shirt
Oh, the E-R-I-E was rising
And the gin was getting low
I scarcely think we'll get a drink
'Til we get to Buffalo
′Til we get to Buffalo

The cook she was a grand ol′ gal
She wore a ragged dress
We hoisted her upon the pole
As a signal of distress
Oh, the E-R-I-E was rising
Gin was getting low
I scarcely think we'll get a drink
′Til we get to Buffalo
'Til we get to Buffalo


The winds began to whistle
The waves began to roll
We had to reep our royals
On that raging canal
Oh, the E-R-I-E was rising
And gin was getting low
I scarcely think we′ll get a drink
'Til we get to Buffalo
′Til we get to Buffalo

Well, when we got to Syracuse
Off-mule he was dead
The nigh mule he got blind staggers
We cracked him on the head
Oh, the E-R-I-E was rising
The gin was getting low
I scarcely think we'll get a drink
'Til we get to Buffalo
′Til we get to Buffalo

The captain, he got married
The cook, she went to jail
And I′m the only sea cook son
That's left to tell the tale
Oh, the E-R-I-E was rising
The gin was getting low
I scarcely think we′ll get a drink
'Til we get to Buffalo
′Til we get to Buffalo