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Lyr Req/Add: Ordinary Man (Peter Hames)

21 May 97 - 12:53 PM (#5484)
Subject: LYRIC REQUEST
From: Mark Westphal

Howdy all,

Looking for the name/artist of a song I heard in a pub in Ireland last year.

The chorus contains: "No work today"

and one stanza was something like: "the monies already spent and I have to pay the rent"

the rest was about a poor family working man trying to make it in a tough world.

Any help????

Mark

21 May 97 - 12:54 PM (#5485)
Subject: RE: LYRIC REQUEST
From: Mark Westphal

PS I have checked this data base with no luck.

22 May 97 - 12:33 AM (#5515)
Subject: RE: LYRIC REQUEST
From: Barry Finn

It rings of Christy Moore, but I can't be sure.

22 May 97 - 02:35 AM (#5519)
Subject: RE: LYRIC REQUEST
From: Alan Foster

The song you want is probably "Ordinary Man" which can be found on a Christy Moore album.

When I get home tonight (late evening Sydney time) I'll send lyrics and album reference.

Cheers, Alan

22 May 97 - 07:56 AM (#5524)
Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: ORDINARY MAN^^
From: Alan Foster

"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.

22 May 97 - 08:05 AM (#5525)
Subject: RE: LYRIC REQUEST
From: Alan Foster

Sorry about the way it turned out, I pasted it from a text file but you can probably work it out.

Cheers,

Alan

22 May 97 - 02:28 PM (#5553)
Subject: RE: LYRIC REQUEST
From: Mark

Thank you very much!!!!!!

Mark

21 Aug 03 - 05:02 PM (#1006087)
Subject: RE: LYRIC REQUEST "NO WORK TODAY"
From: GUEST, Rich

Many thanks

22 Aug 03 - 01:20 PM (#1006554)
Subject: RE: LYRIC REQUEST "NO WORK TODAY"
From: Ray

Thanks for your efforts, Alan. I'd like to
work it up for our group but I don't know
how the melody goes. We'll look for the CD,
but we have a "mining song" gig on Oct 19
and there might not be enough time. Are
there any other songs that use the same tune?

- Ray

31 Jul 21 - 09:12 AM (#4114919)
Subject: Lyric Add: Vaccinated Man (Luke Barry)
From: Felipa

"I'm a vaccinated man" is a new song about emerging from lock down.

It's not in very good taste, but may be just the sort of song to help inspire the younger crowd to go and get the Covid jab.

Among the things we can look forward to post-pandemic, this struck a chord with me!: "We can cough without being death-stared in the aisles."

01 Aug 21 - 03:14 AM (#4115005)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Ordinary Man (Peter Hames)
From: GUEST,Iains

Christy Moore performing Ordinary Man

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIh5dUOz824