The Unthanks Follow

All you welders and riveters and boiler-smiths and plate-men
You gaugers and pipe-fitters, sparks and sheet-metalworkers
You riggers and copper-smiths, red-letters[?] and hard drinkers
Cailers[?] and rackers[?], you pullers and tappers

Half seven horners, you crawl as a mob
From the gates into hell with a tab in your gob
Baitbox[?], a piece[?], poke, a hammer and daub
A day lasts a lifetime and life is a job
When you're black trade
You're just black trade

Your family needs you to do as needs must
To the mercy of metal and madness you trust
In the keels and the girders, tappers[?] and dust
And a deadly concoction of sweat, fumes, and rust
'Cause you're black trade
You're just black trade

All you welders and riveters and boiler-smiths and plate-men
You gaugers and pipe-fitters, sparks and sheet-metalworkers
You riggers and copper-smiths, red-letters[?] and hard drinkers
Cailers[?] and rackers[?], you pullers and tappers

The bane of your life lies there snug in the slips
She's round at the stern and she's wide at the hips
And she's proud in the bow and the pout on her lips
Says, "this country's an island and an island needs ships"
And you're black trade
You're just black trade

And the draughtsmen and joiners come, all spick and span
With their overalls creased, shirt and tie, to a man
When you're up to your eyes in a platelayer's tan[?]
You'll be fitting out[?] with them one day if you can
'Cause you're black trade
You're just black trade

All you welders and riveters and boiler-smiths and plate-men
You gaugers and pipe-fitters, sparks and sheet-metalworkers
You riggers and copper-smiths, red-letters[?] and hard drinkers
Cailers[?] and rackers[?], you pullers and tappers

You're just black trade
You're just black trade
You're just black trade
You're just black trade