Let honest tradesmen now attend

And bear a mournful part with me

It is to you these lines I send

For to console our misery

I See the times which makes me weep

There’s nought but poor men’s labour cheap

I see the times which makes me weep

There’s nought but poor men’s labour cheap



The rich they do continually

Run down the poor men’s labour still

If he’ll not work so straight they cry

Begin, we know another will

And thus the poor in awe they keep

There’s nothing but their labour cheap

I see the times which makes me weep

There’s nought but poor men’s labour cheap



The working man he straight complies

Because of his young children small

For half a loaf of bread he cries

Is better far than none at all

Because he hath a charge to keep

He’s forced to work and labour cheap

Because she hath a charge to keep

She’s forced to work and labour cheap



Alas too well we understand

What causes all our grief and care

It is the wars by sea and land

Alas, alas who can forbear

In these hard times to sigh and weep

There’s nought but poor men’s labour cheap

I see the times which makes me weep

There’s none but poor men’s labour cheap