Ironmasters

Oh this is an old story that's rarely ever told The raping of the country, of the valley The men who came to reap with a musket and a bible They wanted to take the valley The valley! the valley! They wanted to take the valley And oh the ironmasters, they always get their way And so far a pittance all the people worked the land All the men and the women and the children And on sundays it was down to the chapel in the town The preacher said give generously! Give generously! give generously! The people they gave generously And oh the ironmasters, they always get their way The union met in secret on the dark side of the hill By the light of a thousand candles Their pay had been cut, all the people come on out And by scores they were joining Rebecca Rebecca! Rebecca! The people were joining Rebecca And oh the ironmasters, they always get their way Riot! Ironmaster, call the army Call the hungry from the irish sea Ironmaster, call the parliament It's no sin to fight to be free! From the smokey stacks of merthyr To the hills of Ebbw vale From Swansea docks to Merseyside and Liverpool With the union leaders crushed And the union quickly smashed They blackend the face of the country The country! the country! They blackend the face of the country And oh the ironmasters, they always get their way Now on a hill in Brecon is Crawshay's ruined house And it blackens out the green of the valley And on the battered grave is the epitaph they gave It stands there, god forgive him! Forgive him! forgive him! And all who rot in hell with him And oh the ironmasters, they always get their way Riot! Ironmaster, call the army Call the hungry from the irish sea Ironmaster, call the parliament It's no sin to fight to be free! And oh the ironmasters, they always get their way And oh the ironmasters, they still get their way!