Am                          F
the big ships sail up, the big ships sail down
                 Dm
a great northern river
            Am               F
funnels of red, funnels of black
                          Dm
banded with yellow and silver
             C                  F
bringing in cargos of oil and wood
                                    Am
taking home girders of steel and pig iron
              Am                       F
oh, coloured faces, flags from all places
                               Dm
high from the sternposts are flying

              Am                   F
down on the docks, down on the wharves
                  Dm
lofty cranes standing
              Am                      F
stevedores working and rivermen shouting
                        Dm
crews making ready for London
                 C
ropes black and tarry
                  F
chains rusty and red
                                    Am
lay among timber and bollards and packing
                Am                F
seagulls wheel over wild river cats
                             Cm
down on the jetties are watching

[Interlude]
Am    F      Dm
Am    F      Dm
C     F
Am
Am    F      Dm

               Am                  F
nights by the docks, packed smoky pubs
                        Dm
plenty of shouting and swearing
             Am                 F
heavy brown ale, thick muddy stout,
              Dm
and nobody's caring
                 C                  F
a lass starts to warble a popular song
                                           Am
they're throwing her pennies and pieces of silver
              Am                   F
closing time called, silence then falls
                     Dm
on a great northern river