The Old Changing Way
(Richard Thompson)
I'm Darby the tinker and my brother is Tam
We go where the work is, me boys, and we work where we can
With the mending and fixing it's together we stay
Intending our fortunes to try on the old changing way
We come to your cities and we call on your wives
We'll fix up your kettles, please, dear Missus, we'll sharpen your knives
And we always agree that together we'd stay
Intending our fortunes to try on the old changing way
Fat times, they grew scanty and the money grew thin
We worked for a sum but the money, it didn't come in
Now brothers are kindred but hard times betray
And so we stumbled apart on the old changing way
We never agreed to divide our tin
And when you're out of love with your brother your hard times begin
For despites among (?) brothers, they're shameful to see
But don't you trouble along boys, this warning you take from me
You must share with your nearest till the end of your days
Or else it's forever you'll roam the old changing way
Copyright Richard Thompson
JN
apr96
Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!