FACTORY GIRL                   Ralph McTell


D         D6        D7        G        Gm    D
Hurrying across the bridge, before the Siren call,
     D             D6          D7      G        Gm      D
This morning she's chasing her shadow along the Factory wall
    G                                               D
And through the gate ... where she will wait ... in line,
 G                                           D
Across the yard ... to clock her card ... in time,
               A        G     D
And inside the gate the Siren calls.
          A            G       D
The day begins for the Factory Girl.


For a while the girls try to talk,
But their voices are soon drowned in the din.
Their eyes watch their hands do the work,
And the new day's rhythm begins.
No change today ... like yesterday ... the same,
But Dinner soon ... then afternoon ... the same,
Then hurrying home in the fading light,
The Factory Girl's going out tonight.

   Mother says don't be too late,
   Because you've got to be up before Eight.
   "Yes", she cries, but there's joy in her eyes
   As she runs down the path through the gate...

And out on the rainy streets,
Hoping the night won't end,
No whispering of poems on the beach,
Just the swish of the cars rolling by,
And she believes ... no-one could feel ... this way,
And touching ...  and hurrying ... through the rain.
And the rain takes away all her beautiful curls.
The night's so long for the Factory Girl.

Hurrying across the bridge
Before the Siren call,
This morning she's skipping the puddles
All along the Factory wall,
A Starling sings ... he shakes his wings ... she smiles,
And hurrying ... and scurrying ... in the rain,
From inside the gates the Siren calls,
And across the yard runs the Factory Girl.