Lyr Req: Black Trade (Jez Lowe, The Unthanks)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Black Trade (Jez Lowe, The Unthanks)
From: Rusty Dobro
Date: 27 Nov 17 - 03:03 AM

Red lead: lead tetroxide. It was used as a primer on iron objects prior to painting, and in particular in this context, with linseed oil to make an anti-corrosion treatment. Wickedly toxic, but as a teenager working in a hardware shop, I used to sell it by the bucket-load. It's widely banned now, but you may still encounter it in Chinese medicine.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Black Trade (Jez Lowe, The Unthanks)
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Nov 17 - 04:58 PM

[Chorus]
All you welders and riveters and boiler-smiths and plate-men,
You gaugers and pipe-fitters, sparks and sheet-metalworkers,
You riggers and copper-smiths, red-leaders{?} and hard drinkers,
Cailers and laggers, you pullers and dabbers.

Half seven horners, you crawl as a mob
From the gates into hell with a tab in your gob
Baitbox, a piece, poke, a hammer and dab
A day lasts a lifetime and life is a job
When you're black trade
You're just black trade

Your family needs you to do as needs must
To the mercy of metal and madness you trust
In the keels and the girders, dabbers and dust
And a deadly concoction of sweat, fumes and rust
'Cause you're black trade
You're just black trade

[Chorus]

The bane of your life lies there snug in the slips,
She's round at the stern and she's wide at the hips,
And she's proud in the bow and the pout on her lips,
Says this country's an island and an island needs ships
And you're black trade
You're just black trade

And the draughtsmen and joiners come, all spick and span,
with their overalls creased, shirt and tie, to a man
When you're up to your eyes in platelayer's tan
You'll be fitting out with them one day if you can
'Cause you're black trade
You're just black trade

[Chorus]

You're just black trade [x4]

Thank you for your original post. I have edited it to what I heard in the song.
Foxy.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Black Trade' - The Unthanks / Jez Lowe
From: GUEST,#
Date: 10 Sep 15 - 11:24 AM

http://forums.xkcd.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=112537

See if that helps at all.

Subject: Lyr Req: 'Black Trade' - The Unthanks / Jez Lowe
From: Alex in Tokyo
Date: 10 Sep 15 - 10:48 AM

Looking for Lyrics (and explanation of same, I suspect) for the song "Black Trade", written by Jez Lowe and recorded by The Unthanks.

Here's what I've managed to glean so far:

[Chorus]
All you welders and riveters and boiler-smiths and plate-men,
You gaugers and pipe-fitters, sparks and sheet-metalworkers,
You riggers and copper-smiths, red-letters{?} and hard drinkers,
Cailers{?} and rackers{?}, you pullers and tappers.

Half seven horners, you crawl as a mob
From the gates into hell with a tab in your gob
Baitbox{?}, a piece{?}, poke, a hammer and dab{?}
A day lasts a lifetime and life is a job
When you're black trade
You're just black trade

Your family needs you to do as needs must
To the mercy of metal and madness you trust
In the keels and the girders, tappers{?} and dust
And a deadly concoction of sweat, fumes, and rust
'Cause you're black trade
You're just black trade

[Chorus]

The bane of your life lies there snug in the slips,
She's round at the stern and she's wide at the hips,
And she's proud in the bow and the pout on her lips,
Says this country's an island and an island needs ships
And you're black trade
You're just black trade

And the draughtsmen and joiners come, all spick and span,
With their overalls creased, shirt and tie, to a man
When you're up to your eyes in a {?}platelayer's tan{?}
You'll be {?}fitting out{?} with them one day if you can
'Cause you're black trade
You're just black trade

[Chorus]

You're just black trade [x4]