My Time Again

My Daddy, he were just a boy when he walked outta school His Mammy said, "There'd soon be one more hungry mouth to fill" He said, "The learnin' and the schoolin' wurnae bad for them that could Though, I can read and write my bloody name and sign it where I should" And he said "If I had my time again, I know I'd be a learned man An artisan in high demand, a doctor or a teacher As sure as guns are made of iron, I were born a working man I'd live and die right where I stand if I'd my time again" He went wide-eyed down to Johnny Brown, he were a big lad for those years And there he worked so long, if he ever cried, there'd be iron ore in his tears He'd tumble in of a Friday night, a Haddie for your tea And he'd sing to me their dirty songs and diddle me on his knee And he said "If I had my time again, I know I'd be a rovin' man I'd rove away to far Japan to court the Emperor's daughter As sure as guns are made of iron, I were born a working man I'd live and die right where I stand if I'd my time again" With his mates, he'd belt the plates on fleets of shining awe To carry all the well-to-do to golden foreign shores They all coughed themselves to an early grave half filled with bloody rain As the people sang 'The Long Black Limousine' (We all sing!) If I had my time again, I know I'd be a fightin' man In far Malay or Vietnam, though, I am more a lover As sure as guns are made of iron, I were born a working man I'd live and die right where I stand if I'd my time again My time again! Oh, if I had my time again, I know I'd be a learned man An artisan in high demand, a doctor or a teacher As should, as guns are made of iron, I were born a working man I'd live and die right where I stand if I'd my time again Oh, if I had my time again, I know I'd be a fightin' man In far Malay or Vietnam, though, I am more a lover As sure as guns are made of iron, I were born a working man I'd live and die right where I stand if I'd my time again My time again!