"Ordinary Man" can be found on Christy Moore's CD of the same name, it was written by Peter Hames.


ORDINARY MAN
(Peter Hames)

I'm an ordinary man, nothin' special, nothin' grand,
I've had to work for everything I own.
Well 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.
When the whistle blows the gates will finally close,
Tonight they're going to shut this factory down,
Then they'll tear it down.

I never missed a day nor went on strike for better pay
For 20 years I served them best I could.
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 things have got so bad
But the Captains of Industry won't let him loose,
He still drives a car and smokes a cigar
And still he takes his family on a cruise.
He'll never lose.

Now it seems to me to be such a cruel irony,
He's richer now than 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.
But everywhere I go the answer is always no,
There's no work for anyone here today.
No work today.

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

^^
I'm not sure if the chords will line up properly with the words,
this is how I play it,
enjoy,
Alan.

  .............Am..............G....................Am.......................Em
  I'm an ordinary man, nothin' special, nothin' grand,
  ..........F.........................G.....................Am
  I've had to work for everything I own.
  ............Am..............................G..............Am...........................Em
  Well I never asked for a lot, I was happy with what I got,
  .......F...............................G........................Am
  Enough to keep my family and my home.
  ......................F................................G...............................C...........................Am
  Now they say that times are hard and they've handed me my   cards,
  Am........................................................E
  They say there's not the work to go around.
  ...Am............................G..............Am..........................Em
  When the whistle blows the gates will finally close,
  .......F.........................................G..........................Am
  Tonight they're going to shut this factory down,
  ..........................G........Am...G...Am
  Then they'll tear it down.