Irish traditional song lyrics — collected by Beer Belly Band.
I’ve worked hard all my life I’ll tell to you no lie
Down in the local dock yards as a man and boy
But now the bosses tell me they’ll have to let me go
I’m just another number I’m signing on the dole
Chorus:
On the dole, on the dole, on the dole, on the dole
It’s enough to break a poor fella’s heart and soul
By the time we pay the rent ma’am, the grub, the gas, the coal
Sure there isn’t much left over when you’re signing on the dole
Oh Mary wants a new dress and Johnny needs new shoes
And to see little Charlie’s bum sticking out sure gives me the blues
Some how we’ll have to manage on a couple of bob
And hope some day for better things if I can get a job
Chorus
After mass on Sunday morning through the local for a jar
I’ve only got about four quid it won’t go very far
Then it’s home to dinner of bangers, beans and mash
We used to have the Sunday roast when we had the cash
Chorus
This thing they call recession when is it going to end
It’s driving innocent people half way round the bend
They say that it will take three years but that seems far away
While we struggle on the make ends meet every other day
Chorus
Repeat Chorus