> MichaelAnnJillo > Songs > Tugman’s Farewell

Tugman’s Farewell

[ Roud - ; Gerald ‘Gezz’ Overington]

MichaelAnnJillo sang Gezz Overington’s song Tugman’s Farewell in a probably 1990s home recording in Mike and Ann Waterson’s kitchen. It was included in 2023 on their CD I’ll Give You One More As You Go.

Lyrics

MichaelAnnJillo sing Tugman’s Farewell

Arise, arise, the morn is fair,
Small birds sing sweetly on the clear morning air.
Night’s flown on by and day starts to shine,
And the coal that’s been hewn must be brought from the mine.

Wake up, wake up, why sleep you so sound?
The gaffer is moaning, the cocks squawk around.
By now we should be sailing for Castleford town
With nineteen ton put in, to fetch the coal down.

Come down, come down, you damned idle chap,
Come get yourself dressed and put on your cap.
There’s work to be done and there’s wages to earn,
Things to be seen, and lessons to learn.

Awake, awake, why laze you in bed?
The tug she is waiting in number four shed.
Now your own lass is bawling, and what’s that she said?
Her life is now finished ’cause her old man is dead.

Farewell, farewell to you me dear pal,
For nigh on forty years we have worked the canal.
We suffered through hardship through good and bad times,
But you’ve made your last trip to the South Yorkshire mine.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Garry Gillard for transcribing the lyrics.