Christy Moore - Ordinary Man

intro :
F G Am ( x3 )

Am G F Am
i’m an ordinary man , nothing special , nothing grand
F G Am Am
i’ve had to work for everything i own
Am G F Am
i never asked for a lot , i was happy with what i got
F G Am Am
enough to keep my family and my home

F G C Am
now they say that times are hard and they’ve handed me my cards
F F E E
they say there’s not the work to go around
Am G F Am
and when the whistle blows , the gates will finally close
F G Am Am
tonight they’re going to shut this factory down
F G Am Am
and they’ll tare it D – o – w – n

bridge . . . F G Am Am

Am G F Am
i never missed a day , nor went on strike for better pay
F G Am Am
for twenty years i served them best i could
Am G F Am
now with a handshake and a cheque it seems so easy to forget
F G Am Am
loyalty through the bad times and through good

F G C Am
the owner says he’s sad to see that things have got so bad
F F E E
but the captains of indus – try woun’t let him lose
Am G F Am
he still drives a car and smokes his cigar
F G Am Am F G Am Am
and still takes his family on a cruise , he’ll never lose

bridge . . . F G Am Am

Am G F Am
now it seems to me such a cruel irony
F G Am Am
he’s richer now than ever he was before
Am G F Am
now my check is spent and i cant afford the rent
F G Am Am
there’s one law for the rich , one for the poor
F G C Am
every day i’ve tried to salvage some of my pride
F F E E
to find some work so’s i might pay my way
Am G F Am
oh but everywhere i go , the answers always no
F G Am Am
there’s no work for anyone here today
F G Am Am
no work t – o – D – A – y

bridge . . . F G Am Am

Am G F Am
and so condemned i stand , just an ordinary man
F G Am Am
like thousands beside me in the queue
Am G F Am
i watch my darling wife trying to make the best of life
F G Am Am
and god knows what the kids are going to do
F G C Am
now that we are faced with this human waste
F F E E
a gen – eration cast aside
Am G F Am
as long as i live , i never will forgive ,
F G Am Am
you’ve stripped me of my dignity and pride ,
Am F G Am Am
you stripped me ba – r – E
F G Am Am F G Am Am
you’ve stripped me bare , you’ve stripped me bare .

instrumental ( until end ) . . . F G Am Am ( x6 )