In a place near Glasgow City
many. many years ago
where rows of tennement houses.
once stood there all in a row.

with only two rooms and a kitchen
and the privy in yard out back,
it was once a miners town,
of black coal and slack.

The chimney sweep would visit
to sweep the chimneys clean,
brushes he used back then
vaccumes were just a dream.

The soot was dumped in the yard,
in a big heap outside ,
and when the kids came in from play
black faces and backsides.

There was no bath in Tennements
and only a cold water tap,
we were sat in a big tin bath
and had to make do with that.

Water heated in kettles and pots
by a mains cooker run by gas,
cold water had to be added first
or the kids would burn their ass.

There was a seperate building
for washing dirty clothes ,
with washing board and wringer
and boiler if it wasnt froze.

I will always remember those days
though it doesnt seem that long,
things were tough back then
in the place where I was born.