(G)'Twas Joey the weasel that gave us the wire,

They were (C)closing our factory (G)down

Though we didn't believe him and we called him a liar,

The (C)redundancy letters came (G)round

As we (D)read them in silence, I (G)choked back a tear,

It was (C)hard to believe after (D)twenty-odd years

 

Chorus:

(G)Farewell my companions, my friends and my workmates

Fare(D)well to the paydays, the (G)pints and the craic

Oh, we (C)gave them our best years now (G)they've paid us back,

By (D)making us yesterday's (C)men, sure as (G)hell,

By (D)making us yesterday's (G)men

 

(G)So We said our goodbyes by the factory gates,

One (C)cold Friday evening last (G)year

And I saw it all there in the eyes of my mates,

The (C)anger, the sadness, the (G)fear

Like our (D)fathers before us we (G)worked there with pride,

Now we (C)fought back the bitterness (D)burning inside

 

Chorus

 

(G)Ah Now Jimmy, said she, give the kids a few bob,

After (C)all, sure it is Friday (G)night

But how could I tell her I was out of a job,

From (C)now on things were going to be (G)tight

How (D)well I remember it (G)cut like a knife,

I was (C)never a day on the (D)dole in my life

 

Chorus

 

(G)The machines now are silent, the workbenches bare,

And there's (C)dust on the factory (G)floor

They've boarded the windows and have chained up the gates,

And have (C)padlocked the factory (G)door

Now (D)I'm on the scrap-heap, and (G)I'm thirty-nine,

Just (C)one of the hundreds, shot (D)down in my prime

 

Chorus twice