[Verse 1]
Ah, my name is Jackie White and I'm foreman of the yard
And you don't mess with Jackie on this quayside
Why I'm as hard as iron plate, woe betide you if you're late
When we have to push the boat out on a spring tide
Now you could die and hope for Heaven, but you'd need to work your shift
And I'd expect you all to back us to the hilt
And if St. Peter at his gate were to ask you why you're late
Why you'd tell him that you had to get a ship built
We built battleships and cruisers for Her Majesty the Queen
Super tankers for Onassis, and all the classes in between
We built the greatest shipping tonnage that the world has ever seen

[Chorus]
And the only life we've known is in the shipyard

[Verse 2]
All the platters and the welders, and the boiler making crews
When they see that bugger finished on the slipway
All the hardship's soon forgot and we'll cheer as like as not
And the bairns will wave their Union Jacks all day
It's a patriotic scene, all that's missing is the Queen
But she said she couldn't make it of a Tuesday
Then something wells up here inside, and you could take it in your stride
But you wonder if you'll see another payday
For there's a mixture of emotions, hatred, gratitude and pride
And you hate yourself for crying but it's difficult to hide
For there's a sadness in the leaving and you worry what's ahead
And that worry never leaves you, keeps on nagging in your head
And so you pray to God for orders, but you'll worry until you're dead
Until they bury your remains in the blacksmith's shed
[Chorus]

[Bridge]
Steel in the stockyard
Iron in the soul
We'll conjure up a ship where there used to be a hole
And I don't know what we'll do if this yard gets sold

[Chorus]