An unscrupulous dealer in railway shares
The rail! The rail! My own dear rail
As long as it last will never fail, will never fail
Setting no mark or squeamish bound
To scrip¹ that freely flies around
To raise the hopes of flats¹ to the skies
Swallowing scrip and railway lies [Note 321.1]
Swallowing scrip and railway lies
I've got the scrip
I've got the scrip
And all I care for is the tip¹
I'm board of directors high and low
And stagging¹ all where're I go;
If a smash should come, no matter, who cares!
For quicker than thought I'll bolt with the paid-up_shares¹
I love, oh how I love to scheme
In mystifying foaming steam
Where spec¹ as mad as a rail to the moon
Seem whistling to all a pleasing tune;
And telling to all, what's all the go,
And how to raise the wind when low;
I never pass the old_bailey¹ door,
But I think of railing more and more,
And onward fly with my scrip to sport;
Like a stag¹ that seeketh old Capel_court°,
And a cover it's been, ne'er known to fail
For I was born to live by my own dear rail.
The stocks were low and all forlorn,
In a foggy hour when I was born,
The lame_ducks¹ laugh'd and the bears¹ they roll'd
And the brokers¹ clutch'd their bags of gold,
Oh never was heard such a boast and brag;
As welcom'd to life the railway stag;
I've pushed along in noise and strife,
Near twenty summers a dodging¹ life,
More wealth to seek and a court to range,
I'm never or seldom seen to change,
Then the smash, if it comes, let others fail,
I'll cut my friends and my own dear Rail