Lyrics

Chests of slops are emptied
Monmouth caps are doffed
They’re gutting the navy
And the docks are crowded

Ships are decommissioned
Sailors are laid off
Scrambling for scraps
Like sows at a trough

The North Sea darkens
Bellows and heaves
As ten thousand men
Are turned to beggars and thieves

Grovel for the gaffer
Whittle down the fee
We underbid each other
When the docks are crowded

Celebrate the peace
And Britain’s victory
By coming to terms
With a life in poverty

The North Sea darkens
Bellows and heaves
As ten thousand men
Are turned to beggars and thieves