I'm an ordinary man, nothing special nothing grand,
I've had to work for everything I own,
Well I never asked for a lot, I was happy with what I got,
Enough to keep my family and my home,
Now they say, "That times are hard", they've handed me my cards,
They say, "There's not the work to go around",
But when the whistle blows, the gates will finally close,
Tonight we're going to shut this factory down, then they'll tear it down.

I never missed a day nor went on strike for better pay,
For twenty years, I've served them best I could,
With a handshake and a cheque it seems so easy to forget,
Loyalty through the bad times and though good,
Now the owner said he's sad, "To see that things have got so bad",
But the captains of industry won't let him lose,
He still drives a car and smokes a cigar,
Still he takes his family on a cruise, he'll never lose.

It seems to me such a cruel irony,
He's richer now then he ever was before,
Well now my cheque is spent and I can't afford the rent,
There's one law for the rich, one for the poor,
Every day I've tried to salvage some of my pride,
To find some work so as I might pay my way,
But everywhere I go, the answer's always, "No,
There's no work for anyone here today", no work today.

And so condemned I stand just an ordinary man,
Like thousands beside me in the queue,
I watch my darling wife trying to make the best of life,
And God knows what the kids are going to do,
Now that we are faced with this human waste,
A generation cast aside,
For as long as I live, I never will forgive,
You've stripped me of my dignity and pride, you've stripped me bare,
You've stripped me bare, no work today.