[Verse 1]
Now my grandfather was a sailor
He blew in off the water
My father was a farmer
I, his only daughter
Took up with a no-good mill working man from Ma**achusetts
Who dies from too much whiskey
And leaves me these three faces to feed
Mill-work ain't easy; mill-work ain't hard
Mill-work, it ain't nothing but an awful boring job
I'm waiting for a day dream
To take me through the morning
And put me in my coffee break
Where I can have a sandwich and remember
[Chorus]
Then it's me and my machine
For the rest of the morning
For the rest of the afternoon
And the rest of my life
[Verse 2]
Now my mind begins to wander
To the days back on the farm
I can see my father smiling at me
Swinging on his arm
I can hear my grand-dad's stories
Of the storms out on Lake Erie
Where vessels and cargos and fortunes
And sailor's lives were lost
Yes, but it's my life has been wasted
And I have been the fool
To let this manufacture use my body for a tool
I can ride home in the evening
Staring at my hands
Swearing by my sorrow that a young girl
Ought to stand a better chance
[Bridge]
So may I work the mills
Just as long as I am able
And never meet the man whose
Name is on the label
[Chorus]