Irish traditional song lyrics — collected by Beer Belly Band.
I’m an ordinary man, nothing special nothing grand
I’ve had to work for everything I own
I never asked for a lot, I was happy with what I got,
Enough to keep my family and my home
Now they say that times are hard and they’ve handed me my card,
They say there’s not the work to go around
When the whistle blows the gates will finally close,
Tonight they’re going to shut this factory down, then they’ll tear it down
I never missed a day nor went on strike for better pay,
For twenty years I served them best I could
With a handshake and a check it seems so easy to forget,
Loyalty through the bad times and the good
The owner says he’s sad to see that things have got so bad,
But the Captains of Industry won’t let him lose
He stills drives his car and smokes a big cigar,
Still he takes his family on a cruise, he’ll never lose
Now it seems to me such a cruel irony,
He’s richer now than ever he was before
Now my check is spent, I can’t afford the rent,
There’s one law for the rich, one for the poor
Everyday I’ve tried to salvage some of my pride,
To find some work so I might pay my way
But everywhere I go the answer’s always no,
There’s no work for anyone here today, No work today
And so condemned I stand, just an ordinary man,
Like thousands beside me in the queue
I watch my darling wife, tryin’ to make the best of life,
God knows what the kids are goin’ to do
Now that we are faced with this human waste,
A generation cast aside
For as long as I live I never will forgive,
You’ve stripped me of my dignity and pride, You’ve stripped me bare