Poverty Knock - Jim Moray

From the I Am Jim Moray mini-album

Buy the album!
http://www.jimmoray.co.uk/shop.php

~Lyrics~

Up in the morning at five,
it's a wonder that we stay alive
It sets me yawning to great the cold dawning
And back to the dreary old drive

Oh dear, I'm going to be late,
Gaffer is standing at gate
With his hands in his pockets
our wages he'll dock us
We'll have to buy grub on the slate

And it's poverty poverty knock,
My loom it is saying all day
Poverty poverty knock, Gaffer's too skinny to pay us
Poverty poverty knock, always one eye on the clock
I know I can guttle when I hear me shuttle go
Poverty poverty knock

We have to wet our own yarn
by dipping it in yonder tarn
It's cold and it's soggy, it makes me feel groggy
There's rats in that dirty old barn.

Sometimes a shuttle flies out
and gives some poor woman a clout
She lies there bleeding while nobody's heeding
Who's going to carry her out?

And it's poverty poverty knock,
My loom it is saying all day
Poverty poverty knock, Gaffer's too skinny to pay us
Poverty poverty knock, always one eye on the clock
I know I can guttle when I hear me shuttle go
Poverty poverty knock

The tuner should tackle my loom,
but he just sits there on his bum
He's always busy a-courting our Lizzie
And I just can't get him to come

And Lizzie's so easily led,
I reckon he takes her to bed
She used to be skinny, now look at her pinny
It's just about time they were wed

And it's poverty poverty knock,
My loom it is saying all day
Poverty poverty knock, Gaffer's too skinny to pay us
Poverty poverty knock, always one eye on the clock
I know I can guttle when I hear me shuttle go
Poverty poverty knock

Oh my poor head how it sings,
I should have woven three strings
The threads they keep breaking,
my poor heart is aching
Oh God, how I wish I had wings.

http://www.mudcat.org/@displaysong.cfm?SongID=4762

Category:

Music

Tags:

• poverty
• knock
• am
• Jim
• Moray
• folk
• trad
• traditional
• niblick
• is
• giraffe
• low
• culture
• sweet
• england

[dragonshot11]

Gather- The boss

Dock- cut our pay

Skinny- mean

Clout- hit

Heeding- helping

Pinny- apron

Hope this helped!

[DangerYourselfCopies]

@dragonshot11 not having any trouble understanding it, but thanks anyway

[littlesthobbo]

I think it's amazing how much a song and its meaning can change just by slowing it down and singing it a bit less bouncy. The original is really light hearted, and this is actually really sad, despite some quite amusing lyrucs. Actually LOVE Jim Moray!

[robnaylor55]

It's not a poem, it's a folk song, originating in the Yorkshire woollen district. It's never been a poem, but was part of the oral song tradition. It's certainly been sung in my family for at least the last 90 years.

[atwistoflemming]

Good, original take on this song

[darrendprahm]

This song is about weavers. This version is about Jim Moray.

[dragonshot11]

@MarkTAllenby Oh woops thanks for the correction

[MarkTAllenby]

@dragonshot11 Thanks for adding the clarification. One correction - it is gaffer not gather. Two additions - grub - food. Tarn - lake

[matthewpovey123]

saw him live last year!

[heavyhandify]

Does anyone know where i can get the piano music for this piece, i really want to be able to play it :)

[hazzle34]

I don't like the other versions, but this one's great.