Tales of the Riverbank
Riverside Echoes: A Symphony of Working Lives and Resilience
Lyrics
Fourteen hours of working shifts
Expressing the long hours of working shifts.
In early morning Mersey mists
Describing the misty atmosphere around the Mersey River early in the morning.
Too tired to taste the cornflakes on your tongue
Portraying exhaustion, emphasizing being too tired to fully enjoy breakfast.
As morning hits the docks
As the day starts at the docks, setting the scene for a working environment.
You dream of all the ships there must have been
Dreaming of the history of ships on the river, imagining a bustling waterway.
I river full of everything that it's not
Contrasting the idealized river with its reality, highlighting disappointment.
And if your life's not meant to feel like this
Questioning the quality of life and suggesting resistance to the current situation.
Maybe it's time for someone to resist
Encouraging the idea that change is needed to improve life's circumstances.
The riverbank could tell you tales
Introducing the riverbank as a narrator or witness to stories and experiences.
Of working lives, ship with sails
Narrating tales of traditional working lives, with passing jobs from generation to generation.
Jobs were passed from fathers to their sons
Highlighting the continuity of jobs within families.
Sometimes it comes down to you
Acknowledging the individual's role in the larger context of societal issues.
The many to protect the few
Reflecting the sacrifice of many for the benefit of a few.
Unless you cross the line your jobs are gone
Warning about potential job loss if one challenges the established order.
If it takes a thousand days we'll never stop
Expressing determination to persist, even if it takes a considerable amount of time.
Tel it a thousand ways you'll still be wrong
Anticipating resistance and criticism regardless of the effort put in.
Not a word in the morning paper
Observing a lack of coverage or attention in the media.
Feels like we've been out for ages
Expressing a feeling of being neglected or overlooked for an extended period.
Maybe unions and players won't save us
Skepticism about the effectiveness of unions and collective bargaining.
But there's nothing on earth can break us
Asserting resilience and unity despite challenges.
The strength to load a thousand ships
Acknowledging the strength of a collective workforce but warning about potential conflict.
But willing hands can turn to fists
Cautioning that cooperative efforts can turn confrontational.
On picket lines emotions feelings overflow
Depicting heightened emotions and tensions on picket lines during protests or strikes.
A decent job for decent pay
Advocating for fair employment conditions and wages.
To fight if that's the only way
Highlighting a willingness to fight for rights if necessary.
The union says well tough your on your own
Indicating a lack of support from the union in certain situations.
If it takes a thousand days we'll never stop
Reiterating the determination to persist despite challenges.
Tell it a thousand ways you'll still be wrong
Emphasizing the persistence of criticism and opposition.
Not a word in the morning papers
Repeating the lack of media coverage and attention to the cause.
Feels like we've been out for ages
Reiterating the sense of prolonged struggle and frustration.
The unions and prayers won't save us
Expressing doubt about the efficacy of both unions and prayers in solving problems.
There's nothing on earth can break us
Affirming the unbreakable spirit and unity in the face of challenges.
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