A E D E A E D E A D A D A D A D [Verse 1] A 'Twas Joey the weasel that gave us the wire D A They were closin' our factory down A Tho' we didn't believe him and we called him a liar D A The redundancy letters came 'round E A As we read them in silence I choked back a tear D E It is hard to believe after twenty-odd years [Chorus] A D A Farewell my companions, my friends and me workmates E A Farewell to the paydays, the pints, and the craic A D A Oh we gave them our best years, now they've paid us back, E D A By making us yesterday's men sure as hell E A D A D A D A D By making us yesterday's men. [Verse 2] A So we said our goodbyes by the factory gate D A One cold Friday evening last year A And I saw it all there in the eyes of me mates D A The anger the sadness the fear E A Like our fathers before us we worked there with pride D E Now we fought back the bitterness burning inside. [Chorus] A D A Farewell my companions, my friends and my workmates E A Farewell to the paydays, the pints, and the craic A D A Oh we gave them our best years, now they've paid us back, E D A By making us yesterday's men sure as hell E A D A D A D A D By making us yesterday's men. [Verse 3] A Now Ginny said she'd give the kids a few bob, D A After all sure it is Friday night A Ah, how could I tell her I was out of a job? D A From now things were going to be tight E A How well I remember it cut like a knife D E I was never a day on the dole in my life. [Chorus] A D A Farewell my companions, my friends and my workmates E A Farewell to the paydays, the pints, and the craic A D A Oh we gave them our best years, now they've paid us back, E D A By making us yesterday's men sure as hell E A D A D A D A D By making us yesterday's men. [Verse 4] A The machines now are silent, the workbench is bare D A D A And there's dust on the factory floor A They've boarded the windows and they've chained up the gate, D A And they've padlocked the factory door, E A And I'm on the scrap heap, and I'm thirty-nine D E As one of the hundreds shot down in my prime. [Chorus] A D A Farewell my companions, my friends and my workmates E A Farewell to the paydays, the pints, and the craic A D A Oh we gave them our best years, now they've paid us back, E D A By making us yesterday's men sure as hell E A D A D By making us yesterday's men. [Chorus] A D A Farewell my companions, my friends and my workmates E A Farewell to the paydays, the pints, and the craic A D A Oh we gave them our best years, now they've paid us back, E D A By making us yesterday's men sure as hell E A D A D By making us yesterday's men. [Outro] A D A Farewell my companions, my friends and my workmates E A Farewell to the paydays, the pints, and the craic A D A Oh we gave them our best years, now they've paid us back, E D A By making us yesterday's men sure as hell E A D A D A D A D A By making us yesterday's men.