The Fureys - Yesterdays men

'Twas ^AJoey the weasel that gave us the wire They were ^Dclosin' our factory ^Adown Tho' we ^Adidn't believe him and we called him a liar The re^Ddundancy letters came '^Around As we ^Eread them in silence I ^Achoked back a tear It is ^Dhard to believe after ^Etwenty-odd years

Fare^Awell my ^Dcompanions, my ^Afriends and my workmates Fare^Ewell to the paydays, the ^Apints, and the craic Oh we ^Agave them our ^Dbest years, now ^Athey've paid us back, By ^Emaking us yesterday's ^Dmen sure as ^Ahell By ^Emaking us yesterday's ^Amen. ^{D A D A D A D}

So we ^Asaid our goodbyes by the factory gate One ^Dcold Friday evening last ^Ayear And I ^Asaw it all there in the eyes of me mates The ^Danger the sadness the ^Afear Like our ^Efathers before us we ^Aworked there with pride Now we ^Dfought back the bitterness ^Eburning inside.

Fare^Awell my ^Dcompanions, my ^Afriends and my workmates Fare^Ewell to the paydays, the ^Apints, and the craic Oh we ^Agave them our ^Dbest years, now ^Athey've paid us back, By ^Emaking us yesterday's ^Dmen sure as ^Ahell By ^Emaking us yesterday's ^Amen. ^{D A D A D A D}

Now ^AGinny said she'd give the kids a few bob, After ^Dall sure it is Friday ^Anight Ah, ^Ahow could I tell her I was out of a job? From ^Dnow things were going to be ^Atight How ^Ewell I remember it ^Acut like a knife I was ^Dnever a day on the ^Edole in my life.

Fare^Awell my ^Dcompanions, my ^Afriends and my workmates Fare^Ewell to the paydays, the ^Apints, and the craic Oh we ^Agave them our ^Dbest years, now ^Athey've paid us back, By ^Emaking us yesterday's ^Dmen sure as ^Ahell By ^Emaking us yesterday's ^Amen. ^{D A D A D A D}

The ma^Achines now are silent, the workbench is bare And there's ^Ddust on the factory ^Afloor ^{D A} They've ^Aboarded the windows and they've chained up the gate, And they've ^Dpadlocked the factory ^Adoor, And ^EI'm on the scrap heap, and ^AI'm thirty-nine As ^Done of the hundreds shot ^Edown in my prime.

Fare^Awell my ^Dcompanions, my ^Afriends and my workmates Fare^Ewell to the paydays, the ^Apints, and the craic Oh we ^Agave them our ^Dbest years, now ^Athey've paid us back, By ^Emaking us yesterday's ^Dmen sure as ^Ahell By ^Emaking us yesterday's ^Amen. ^{D A D}

Fare^Awell my ^Dcompanions, my ^Afriends and my workmates Fare^Ewell to the paydays, the ^Apints, and the craic Oh we ^Agave them our ^Dbest years, now ^Athey've paid us back, By ^Emaking us yesterday's ^Dmen sure as ^Ahell By ^Emaking us yesterday's ^Amen. ^{D A D A D A D A}