The Wark o' the Weavers

We're all met together here t' set and t' crack
Wi' oor glasses in oor hands and oor wark upon oor back
And there's no' a traede among them a' can either men' or mak
If it wasnae for the wark o' the weavers

Chorus If it wasnae for the weavers, what would we do
We wouldnae hae claeth maede o' oor woo'
We wouldnae hae a coat, neither black nor blue
Gin it wasnae for the wark o' the weavers

The hireman chiels, they mock us and crack aye aboots
They say that we are thin faced, bleached like cloots
And yet for all their mockery, they canna dae wi'oots
Na, they wanna want the wark o' the weavers

(Chorus)

There's oor wrichts and oor slaters and glaziers and a'
Oor doctors and oor ministers. and them that live bae law
And oor friens in Sooth Americae, though them we never saw
But we cannae wear the wark o' the weavers

(Chorus)

Oor sailo's and oor so'diers, we can they're all bauld
But if they hadnae claes, faith, they couldnae fecht for cauld
The high and low, the rich and pair, a' body young and auld
They wanna want the wark o' the weavers

(Chorus)

There's folk that's independent o' aither tra'esman wark
The women need nae barbers and dykers need nae clerk
But none o' them can dae wi' oot a coat or a sark
Nay, they wanna want the wark o' the weavers

(Chorus)

The weavin' is a trade that never can fail
As lang 's we need ae cloot to keep another hale
So let us aye be merry out a bikker o' guid ale
And drink tae the health o' the weavers

(Chorus)

Performed by Ewan MacColl. Written by David Shaw.