Why Aye Man

We had no way of staying afloat We had to leave on the ferry boat Economic refugees On the run to Germany We had the back of Maggie's hand Times were tough in geordieland We got work tools and working gear And humped it all from Newcastle to here Why aye man, why aye, why aye man Why aye man, why aye, why aye man We're the nomad tribes, traveling boys In the dust and dirt and the racket and the noise Drills and hammers, diggers and picks Mixing concrete, laying bricks There's English, Irish, Scots, the lot United nation's what we've got Brickies, chippies, every trade German building, British-made Why aye man, why aye, why aye man Why aye man, why aye, why aye man Nae more work on Maggie's farm Hadaway down the autobahn Mine's a portacabin bed Or a bunk in a nissen hut instead There's plenty Deutschmarks here to earn And German tarts are wunderschoen German beer is chemical-free Germany's alright with me Sometimes I miss my river Tyne But you're my pretty Fraulein Tonight we'll drink the old town dry Keep work spirit levels high Why aye man, why aye, why aye man Why aye man, why aye, why aye man --- Why Aye Man - Mark Knopfler