Christy Moore Ordinary Man Lyrics

Ordinary Man Lyrics

I'm an ordinary man, nothing special nothing grand
I've had to work for
everything I own
I never asked for a lot, I was happy with what I
got
Enough to keep my family and my home

Now they say that times are
hard and they've handed me my cards
They say there's not the work to go
around
And when the whistle blows, the gates will finally close
Tonight
they're going to shut this factory down
Then they'll tear it
d-o-w-n

I never missed a day nor went on strike for better pay
For
twenty years I served them best I could
Now with a handshake and a cheque it
seems so easy to forget
Loyalty through the bad times and through good
The
owner says he's sad to see that things have got so bad
but the captains of
industry won't let him lose
He still drives a car and smokes his
cigar
And still he takes his family on a cruise, he'll never
lose

Well it seems to me such a cruel irony
He's richer now then he
ever was before
Now my cheque is spent and I can't afford the
rent
There's one law for the rich, one for the poor
Every day I've tried
to salvage some of my pride
To find some work so's I might pay my way
Oh
but everywhere I go, the answer's always no
There's no work for anyone here
today, no work today

Break - 1st four lines

And so condemned I
stand just an ordinary man
Like thousands beside me in the queue
I watch
my darling wife trying to make the best of life
And God knows what the kids
are going to do
Now that we are faced with this human waste
A generation
cast aside
And as long as I live, I never will forgive
You've stripped me
of my dignity and pride, you've stripped me bare
You've stripped me bare,
You've stripped me bare