Classic Poem

Poverty, poverty knock!
Me loom is a sayin' all day.
Poverty, poverty knock!
Gaffer's too skinny to pay.
Poverty, poverty knock!
Keepin' one eye on the clock.
Ah knows ah can guttle
When ah hear me shuttle
Go poverty, poverty knock!

Up every mornin' at five,
Ah wonder that we keep alive.
Tired an' yawnin' on the cold mornin',
It's back to the dreary old drive.

Oh dear, we're goin' to be late,
Gaffer is stood at the gate.
We're out o' pocket, our wages they're docket,
We'll 'a' to buy grub on the slate.

An' when our wages they'll bring,
We're often short of a string.
While we are fratchin' wi' gaffer for snatchin',
We know to his brass he will cling.

We've got to wet our own yarn
By dippin' it into the tarn.
It's wet an' soggy and makes us feel groggy,
An' there's mice in that dirty old barn.

Oh dear, me poor 'ead it sings,
Ah should have woven three strings,
But threads are breakin' and my back is achin',
Oh dear, ah wish ah had wings.

Sometimes a shuttle flies out,
Gives some poor woman a clout.
There she lies bleedin', but nobody's heedin'.
Who's goin' t'carry her out?

Tuner should tackle me loom,
'E'd rather sit on his bum.
'E's far too busy a-courtin' our Lizzie,
An' ah cannat get 'im to come.

Lizzie is so easy led,
Ah think that 'e teks her to bed.
She allus was skinny, now look at her pinny,
It's just about time she was wed.

Poverty, poverty knock!
Me loom is a-sayin' all day.
Poverty, poverty knock!
Gaffer's too skinny to pay.
Poverty, poverty knock!
Keepin' one eye on the clock.
Ah know ah can guttle
When ah hear me shuttle
Go poverty, poverty knock!