No Use For Him by Eric Bogle Recorded by Bru Peckett and Mandy Morley Me father was a number one, he worked hard all his life Defensive of the way we lived and never out of strife He called no man his master and very few his friend A proud and stiff necked man he was, who would neither bow nor bend But they broke him in the end, when they'd no use for him! Chorus : Well they took away his job, when they'd no use for him any more After nearly fifty years they kicked him out the door But they let him keep his waterway jacket, overcoat and cap And a pension of nine bob a week, he was lucky to get that! But they broke his heart for sure, when they'd no use for him any more I spent most of me childhood days on England's old canals Working on me father's boats, me and him were real good pals Winding windlass handles, heaving lock gates to and fro Loading boat and butty, never knowing where we'd go But they broke his heart I know, when they'd no use for him! How I loved those misty mornings then, getting up when it was dark We'd slip our moorings silently so the dogs wouldn't even bark Out in every weather, the wind, the rain, the snow Working hard from dawn to dusk never caring where we'd go But he died inside I know, when they'd no use for him! Now when he was sixty five years old, they handed him his cards Narrowboats he'd worked on all his life so to him it did prove hard For they took away his way of life, his pride, his joy, his home The boat and butty were all he had, canals were all he'd known Condemned no more to roam ... they had no use for him! The above is a modification of Eric Bogle's original song whose lyrics and music can be found here. Recorded on :