Sting Sky Hooks And Tartan Paint Lyrics

The Last Ship

Sting The Last Ship Album

16.Sky Hooks And Tartan Paint

Lyricist:StingJo LawryKathryn TickellPeter TickellJulian Sutton
Writer(s):StingJo LawryKathryn TickellPeter TickellJulian Sutton

Me first day in the shipyard, the gaffer says to me,
'I want ye to go to the store lad and get a few things, ye see?
Now here's a list, can ye read lad? Can ye read it back to me?
And me and the boys'll listen while were having wah morning
tea.'

Now reading was me pride when I left school at fourteen,
There wouldn't be no problem here, I'd show them I was keen,
But when I starts to reading, they just couldn't hold their
mirth,
Hugging themselves and spluttering like they was giving birth.

'First off a brace of sky hooks and a packet of nail holes neat,
And then three cans of tartan paint, and that's me task
complete.'
The gaffer pats me on the head and sends me on me way,
He says, 'Don't come back empty handed lad, or I'll have to dock
yr pay.'

So I gets to the store all nervous and the quartermaster's
there,
I pulls the list out of me pocket and I starts to read all
square,
Well I hadn't barely finished when the store-man's face turns
red,
He gives me such an evil look I thought I'd soon be dead.

'First off a brace of sky hooks and a packet of nail holes neat,
And then three cans of tartan paint, and that's me task
complete.'
The store-man swipes me on the head and sends me on me way,
With a kick in the arse for me efforts, and such was my first
day.

I gets back home that evening and me mother says to me,
'How was it son? How was your day? Sit down and have some tea.'
I told her of the list I'd read and the trouble I was in,
I couldn't go back tomorrow or the gaffer'd have me skinned.

'First off a brace of sky hooks and a packet of nail holes neat,
And then three cans of tartan paint, and that's me task
complete.'
Me mother swipes me on the head and sends me on me way,
With a kick in the arse for me efforts, and such was my first
day.