Dedicated to the St. Paul Firemen.
'The
Firemen’s
Marching Song." (c1865; June 1866)
A Walk Around
by
QUAILS.

Chicago, IL: Root & Cady, 67 Washington St.
Plate No. 595 4
[Announced in the June 1866 "Song Messenger"]
[Source: 179/058@Levy]

1. When conflagration fierce and wild is raging here in town,
We drown the fire without delay or tear the building down.

CHORUS [sung after each VERSE, with overlapping voices]
[Soprano]
On! nigher!
Throw the water higher!
We one and all
Obey the call
For drowning out the fire!
[Alto]
Hurry up! nigher!
Get a little higher!
We one and all
Obey the call
For drowning out the fire!
[Tenor]
On boys get nigher!
Raise the ladder higher!
We one and all
Obey the call
For drowning out the fire!
[Bass]
Fire! Fire! Fire!
Throw the water higher!
We one and all
Obey the call
For drowning out the fire!

2. The fireman only works to save, but never cares for fame.
Yet often saved a human life from out the burning flame!

3. There is a kind of rivalry that Firemen do admire,
They like to be the first on hand whene’er there is a fire!

4. We are a jolly company, but never seem to tire
In jumping up by day or night and rushing to the fire.

5. Of course we have unpleasant work, as roses have a brier
But still we never stop to think when working at the fire.

6. We never care for rain or snow, nor even mud and mire
But be the weather what it may, we hasten to the fire.

7. Both heart and nerve for our work, you know it does require
But we have got a good supply and will subdue the fire.

8. We love the merry engine bell, for ’tis our public crier.
It tell its children one and all to hasten to the fire.

9. To be the country’s President, we never do aspire,
We only ask our company shall first be at the fire.

10. O once I saved a meeting house with blazes in the spire.
The parson winked and said he knew I wa’nt afraid of fire.

11. If I could sing like Jenny Lind, or even a little higher,
I wouldn’t sing a song at all unless ’twas ’bout the fire.

12. To write on paper half I sing ’twould take a hundred quire.
And every word that I should write would be about the fire.

13. O once I knew a Fireman, he had a sweet Maria,
He saved her life one stormy night when working at the fire.

14. She saw him mount the ladder rounds and quickly coming nigher,
Then sprang into his arms at once from out the burning fire.

15. And now she tells her children all, she loves their aged sire,
Because some forty years ago he saved her at the fire.

16. O I would like to be in church and leader of a choir.
If I could only be allowed to sing about the fire.

17. O I have sung so loud, my friends, I freely do perspire,
But don’t you turn and play on me by thinking I’m a fire.