WHY AYE MAN
Mark Knopfler

Mark Knopfler


We had no way, o’ stayin’ afloat 
We had to leave on a ferry boat
Economic refugees
On the run to Germany
We had the back o’ Maggie’s hand
Times were tough in Geordieland
We got wor tools an’ workin’ gear
An’ humped it all from Newcastle to here

Why aye man, why aye, why aye man, why aye man, why aye, why aye man
Why aye man, why aye, why aye man, why aye man, why aye, why aye man

We’re the nomad tribes, travellin’ boys
Why aye, why aye man 
In the dust an’ dirt an’ the racket and noise
Why aye, why aye man
Drills an’ hammers, diggers an’ picks
Why aye, why aye man
Mixin’ concrete, layin’ bricks
Why aye, why aye man
There’s English, Irish, Scots the lot
United Nations, what we’ve got
Briickies, chippies, every trade
German buildin’, British made

Why aye man, why aye, why aye man, why aye man, why aye, why aye man,
Why aye man, why aye, why aye man, why aye man, why aye, why aye man

Nee more work on Maggie’s farm
Hadaway down the autobahn   
Mine’s a Portakabin bed
Or a bunk in a Nissen hut instead
There’s plenty Deutschmarks here to earn
Why aye, why aye man
And German tarts are wunderschön
Why aye, why aye man
German beer is chemical free
Why aye, why aye man
Germany’s alreet with me
Why aye, why aye man
Sometimes I miss my river Tyne
But you’re, my, pretty fräulein
Tonight we’ll drink the old town dry
Keep wor spirit levels high

Why aye man, why aye, why aye man, why aye man, why aye, why aye man, 
Why aye man, why aye, why aye man, why aye man, why aye, why aye man




(Transcribed by Michael Makepeace - November 2016)