Lumper's life – John Connoly

The fish are waiting in the hold and night has come to town
folks with sense are in their beds but the lumpers they go down
down pneumonia jetty where the wind cuts like a knife
I wish to God I'd never started on the lumping life

And it's all the night and half the day

sweating for your lumper's pay
fill the boxes hump 'em down
lumping's hard in Grimsby town.

We're called the midnight millionaires by folks who'll never know

How your hands go stiff, encased in ice, when the temperature's below
The wind cuts through your guts me lads, your face is stiff and blue
And you wish the trawler owners were down there instead of you

And it's all the night...

Me father was a lumper and a dockman all his life

Me mother told me sister “never be a lumper's wife,
you'll wash his fishy overalls and darn his stiff old socks
And every night you'll sleep alone while he goes down the docks”

And it's all the night...

If ever I wins the pools me lads me lumping days are through

I'll cash me cheque from littlewoods and I know just what I'll do
I'll treat me mates and say goodbye and leave the lumping life
And then I'll go to bed at night and get to know my wife!

And it's all the night...

I'll burn me dirty clogs and throw me lumping card away

I'll put me leggings in the shed and leave 'em there to stay
I'll tell the lousy setter on to leave his midnight call
and turn ne back forwever on the bloody cold north wall

And it's all the night...