The Ballad of Rosie Cooper by Sue Lee Recorded by Keepers Lock They call me Rosie Cooper, I doubt you've heard the name I was born in eighteen eighty five, from Brentford Town we came Me father was a boatman, we lived on narrow boat And we worked canals of England, from our own home afloat Chorus : Through the cold and rain and the hunger pain We worked the old Grand Junction Our boats were brightly painted with castles in the sky And roses all around the door, so sweet it'd make ya cry Our days were long and hard then as we battled through the gales Up flights of locks, thro' tunnels dark, our bodies hard as nails! When I was only fourteen, cold winter struck us hard Our boats were frozen to the banks, we could not move a yard With the water frozen solid our horses could not grip We tried in vain the locks to gain but on towpath we did slip Me Mother took it hardest, with seven mouths to feed No work meant no cash no cash comin' in, for food we had to plead! Cruel farmers they did scorn us and from their land did chase That winter saw a hundred dead - God take them to a better place! But now I've met me lad from Bruerne, he proposed to me last Spring We'll be married in the Summer and I'll wear his golden ring He's good man, he's a strong man and he's a Number One So we'll work hard together, spend our lives on the Grand Junction My thanks to Keepers Lock for permission to use the video. Recorded on :