Henry's Songbook

I was nearly time-served, just two months to go
When redundancies came, just like that
I said, Can't I stay on just to finish my time
But they laughed and turned me doon flat
I told them I only had eight weeks to go
The Union tried hard, God knows
Wish I had a quid for each one who said
Sorry, son, that's how it goes

I buy every paper, I'll try any job
Walkin' streets warms you up when it's cold
The Job Centre folk must be sick o' my face
And the same goes for them at the Dole
I write all my letters at night, in despair
Tellin' lies I'm a time-served man
I'm beginnin' to wonder does anyone care
For there's only one answer in ten

Then one interview that came right oot the blue
Put my tie on and polished my shoes
I went an hour early, only to find
Three hundred or mair in the queue
When my turn came I told him I'd finished my time
It was easy to tell that lie
When my only prospect is helpin' my pal
Daein' homers at night on the fly

So I'll stick on the stamp, it's the fourth one the day
Stick it square so the envelope's neat
When I think of the number o' times I've done that
I just want to sit doon an' greet

Ach, did you ever feel you were beat

[1984:] I wrote this for a friend of my daughter who was a young apprentice and almost finished his time when he was made redundant. (Iain MacKintosh, intro 'Home For A While')