BILLY BRAGG - BETWEEN THE WARS Lyrics

I was a minerI was a dockerI was a railway manBetween the warsI raised a familyIn times of austerityWith sweat at the foundryBetween the warsI paid the union and as times got harderI looked to the government to help the working manAnd they brought prosperity down at the armouryBetween the warsI kept the faith and I kept votingNot for the iron fist but for the helping handFor theirs is a land with a wall around itAnd mine is a faith in my fellow manTheirs is a land of hope and gloryMine is the green field and the factory floorTheirs are the skies all dark with bombersAnd mine is the peace we knewBetween the warsCall up the craftsmenBring me the draughtsmenBuild me a path from cradle to graveAnd I'll give my consentTo any governmentThat does not deny a man a living wageGo find the young men never to fight againBring up the banners from the days gone bySweet moderationHeart of this nationDesert us not, we areBetween the wars