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"What Are Folk Like?"

Drinking For A Living (Justin Ward)

This song was er, inspired by a moody picture on shorpy.com of an old 'jack-knife' bridge in Buffalo, NY. That area used to be occupied by Irish

'grain scoopers' who worked on the grain ships and elevators, using the 'saloon boss' system - which is no doubt in operation in a lot of places today. Your lodging and food are

all found, and you get just enough cash (to begin with) to buy your round every night - but if you don't you're out of a job.

The early Irish immigrants of Buffalo lived in the tough 'first ward' of the town, but if you sing 'I live in the first ward of Buffalo', it sounds a bit silly.

C major.

I live in the town of Buffalo
In the shadow of the jack-knife bridge
To work those freighters as they come and go
That is my privilege

To empty one boat takes a gang of twenty-five
And we work just like we're cursed
Some of these boys look more dead than alive
But that don't stop 'em working up a thirst

Chorus
If you want to work you got to drink in this saloon,
You got to drink and you gotta pay by Saturday noon
Come Saturday, saloon boss, I owe it all to you
So I drink for a living, that's what I do
Drinking for a living, I work without a break
Drinking for a living, any money that I make
I spend it all, in the boss's bar
So I drink for a living, you know that I'll go far

Well I used to send a little money home
Regular, now and then
But last time I wrote my baby I said
It's gonna be if not when
Chorus

Well that's the way it works on the waterfront
Your wages all go to the beer
They'll let you borrow all the money you want
But you'll never spend it anywhere but here
Chorus x2

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