If you ever hear an old loom going you'll recognise the rhythm of the song - it is the sound of the shuttle box being struck on one side of the loom and hitting the stop on the other, interspersed with the shed being changed.

The slow pace at which some sing 'Poverty knock' just emphasizes the discontinuity between the Hell-hole of the factory and the singer.

Pushing the machines and their minders to the limits of their ability to work is what it was all about.