"The Hot Asphalt" is a song about Irish navvies in Britain which dates back to 1880's. The first British patent for the use of asphalt was "Cassell's patent asphalte or bitumen" in 1834. Then in 1837, Richard Tappin Claridge patented the use of Seyssel asphalt, for use in asphalte pavement. The original version was a humorous song. It was re-written with new words in 1959 by Ewan MacColl as part of his Radio Ballads. It was recorded by The Dubliners, The Corries, The Wolfe Tones, The Pogues and The Dublin City Ramblers.