Swingin' That Steel
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
- Words and music by Joe Muldoon. (Other Muldoon songs at GodBlessTheBiker.com and tinyurl.com/jo....
For a thorough look at the story behind the song, read Jim Ricci's historical review of the politics and technology that made this magnificent structure a reality: "The Newport Bridge" by James Ricci (A prince!).
From the publisher: www.arcadiapub... or
Swingin' That Steel is one of the songs on my “Bridgeport Boy” RUclips playlist (tinyurl.com/BridgeportBoy). All about my experiences and influences growing up in a bustling industrial city by the sea. Here’s the full playlist:
- Jefferson Ferry
- Mama, the Lake, and `49 Fastback Chevy
- Song for Itself
- Rollin’
- Magical Child
- Swinging' that Steel (about Newport RI. A good neighbor.)
More Doon tunes at:
GodBlessTheBike...
tinyurl.com/jo...
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There's a good description of the first stage of the bridge job in 1966 -- building the concrete ‘footing’ or foundation blocks of the east and west towers -- at www.ritba.org/h....
While there is a bit of poetic license in the song -- in deference to rhyme or rhythm -- you can get a detailed explanation of the pics and the lingo in the lyrics in the photo album I’ve posted at:
www.facebook.c....
The line in the song, "Joe was lead, connecting those cells" makes use of some artistic leeway. All the connectors --the young, athletic ironworkers who climb up or out to the end of steel beams and other structures to guide the next 30 tons or so of steel into place and lock it down -- were pretty much equally, and highly, skilled. But when they were ready to set a boom at the very top of the towers, they had Joe, an Indian working on the west tower, climb underneath the boom at 400 feet and put in the linch pin. It was hair-raising to watch.
A word about Leroy Shenandoah ("Lee Shenandoah was working the bells."). The work of the ironworkers on this job took place hundreds of feet above the the base where the crane operator sat below with no direct view of the work. They did not use intercom or walkie-talkie voice communications to tell the operator how to position the load. Rather, they employed a bell signaling system. The best Ironworker on the job, Lee Shenandoah, worked the bells on the east tower. He wore a vest with 4 buttons to signal boom up/down/left/right, load up/down, whip up/down/left/right and just how much for each move. Shendandoah was an Iroquois Indian, champion lacrosse player, Green Beret and a member of the honor guard at JFK’s funeral. He died young, but not due to the dangers of high steel work. Here’s the story.
indiancountryt...
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www.newspapers...
Local 361 IW. Love this brother
Hanging and banging. Much love and respect from LOCO 433 IW Los Angeles
Thanks for checking in. It's great to know folks on the Coast are listening.
44 years local 75 Arizona ,,,big iron on my hip☃️
Local 7 Apprentice. Love this song! Really gets me motivated for my next structural job. I've done rods and they're ok, but put me on that high iron.
Thanks for checking in. When you get you get up there, let us know, send a pic or two. The ironworkers I met on the bridge hated rod work but, got to say, there are a couple of fine videos by some rod busters.
@@doonman22 I'm pretty familiar with the Narragansett bridge. I was stationed at Naval Station Newport for a little while. Was always nice sitting in the gazebo reading a book and watching the sunset over the bay.
@@makim-k5850 My cousin was a sailor stationed at Newport when I was there. One of his favorite ports.
@@doonman22 I'm sure he told everyone on base his cousin built that bridge lol!
Absolutely those of us that have been " connectors know who we are what we do and why! It's not just a job it's in your blood!!!
My compliments to the hard working men and women who built this country on their backs.. brother is level 1 iron worker in Chicago. Good job bro.
Rhode islander my entire life and never knew this song existed !!!
Love this. From a member of Local 27
That’s Bad Ass Brother
Hey, thanks for listening
27 years Journeyman IW.worked all over ta USA.work safe Brothers.
You can tell the singer knew ironwork. Just listen
As I watch this video I feel like I’ve worked with some of these guys local -11 Newark GODBLESS IRON MEN
On that job there were a few guys who had worked on the Verrazzano Narrows bridge. Lee Shenandoah definitely worked on that job and he and a number of other Iriquois worked in Philadelphis too.
Great song.
Great song 🙂☝️👌👍👍
Paddy, thanks for checking in. It's good to know folks are still seeing it. I'm a bit Irish myself. Muldoons are from around Donegal and my O'Kane progenitors are from Ulster. My great aunt, Betty O'Kane pretty much ran the local Ironworkers union hall since the boss was a tad too tipsy most of the time.
Joe Muldoon good to fear my first name is accually mark im from the republic of ireland and listining to this song repeatedly on a daily basis im a welder/fabricator from a town called ballaghaderreen in roscommon .
@@paddirishman Damn. I should check back to this page more often, Mark. Ballaghaderreen....gettin' up toward Donegal where the few Muldoons came from. Or so it's said. My wife and I lived in Cork City for about a year in 1975. I got it in my head to move there for a bit when I worked with some Irish guys training as linemen for PG&E in San Francisco. Lots of Irish there then. In Eire I played occasionally in folk club sessions, one of which was down in or near that Douglas golf course. The lads there really liked my biker tunes "God Bless the Biker" and "Ridin' My Bike Home Drunk" (a cautionary tale.) They reside on the web at GodBlessTheBiker.com
1975 was a tough year up north. A really popular show band, Miami, was bombed. I just watched a documentary on that one. But.....mostly good times for us and lots of music.Cork singer Jimmy Crowley was just recording his first album and now lives in Florida. Comes up to St. Paul occasionally. Folks still can't understand him all the time. He's a Cork man, ya' know
damn good brother! 172 columbus
Riley, thanks for checking in. Good to know folks are listening. I love the banner photo on the 172 Facebook. page
Local 24
10,000 views. Not bad.
❤️🇺🇸'' IRONWORKER'' 🇺🇸❤️
MDM. Thanks for checking in.
I've never heard an ironworker describe his work as "steel". It's "iron" plain and simple. If you want a steel worker, head to the mills where they make it. R D ironworker #25 Detroit, thirty two years retired.
Dam right hog
Is there somewhere to buy this song
Thanks for asking. It used to be a buck a song and $7 or so for the album, but I see the cart isn't working so I set it for free download. Find it at around #20 on the GodBlessTheBiker.com player. When you click on it, you will see that download symbol lower right. You might have to scroll the player screen a bit. Actually, the only reason I charge for any song is when musicians, like the great guys I had on this one, put in a lot of work. What the hell, it never amounts to much anyway. If this doesn't work, I'll dig up the direct link on SoundClick.
Name of song ?
Irish local 377&33
4:45, I will be honest when you work hard if you want to get high on weed, it should be fine as long as you don’t come to work high.
I look forward to when it's federally legal and companies no longer consider it during testing. I mean, you can smoke a bunch one day and a whole week later fail even though you're stone sober. So stupid...I don't advocate smoking on the job. But off work it's like alcohol
@@makim-k5850 agreed it is ridiculous. I was so worried about testing and they didn’t even bother. I release about 8 weeks ago, I had a pack of edibles with some friends.
@@makim-k5850 right now it is close to legal but the only company banning discrimination as a result is Nevada. So they can still test you and fire you as a result if you are positive.
Where I work we have a lot of union carpenters and craftsmen come in. I always respect people who work hard. People don’t understand that what I do in retail involves lifting lots of heavy boxes and a lot of exercise. It isn’t for the faint of heart. We also operate machinery.
Um. What do you do that you think is comparable?
@@drewfullhart1750 honestly it was hard work, and I saw a lot of co workers get hurt or sick with covid.
@@seanhartnett79 you've never worked hard a day in your life. Don't ever compare retail to what WE do
@@drewfullhart1750 I worked 120 hours of overtime for Christmas.
@@drewfullhart1750 I was spat on, cough on by people yelling I have covid and almost got my register jacked at knife point multiple times. I am sick of people saying the job was unimportant and I was a loser for working there.