Mrs. Barbour's Army

In the tenements of Glasgow in the year one nine one five
It was one long bloody struggle just to keep ourselves alive
We were counting out the coppers to buy our scraps of food
When the landlords put the rent up just because they could
Ah the factories were humming, there was overtime galore
But wages they were driven down to subsidise the war
Out came Mrs. Barbour from her wee bit single end [studio apartment]
She said, I'll organise the lassies if I cannot rouse the men

[Chorus]
'Cos I'm from Govan, and you're from Partick
This one heres from Bridge o' Weir and they're from Kinning Park [suburbs of Glasgow]
There's some that's prods [protestants], there's some that's catholic
But we're Mrs. Barbours Army and we're here to do the work

Mrs. Barbour made a poster saying, "We'll not pay higher rent,"
Then chapped on every door of every Govan tenement
She said, "Put this in the window and when you hear me bang the drum
We'll run out and chase the factor [landlord] all the way to kingdom come,"
When the poor wee soul came round he was battered black and blue
By a regiment in pennies [dresses] that knew just what to do
Mrs. Barbour organised a gathering of the clans
And they burst out of the steamie [laundry] armed with pots and frying pans

[Chorus]

Mrs. Barbour's Army spread through Glasgow like the plague
The masters got the message and the message was not vague
While our menfolk fight the Kaiser we'll stay home and fight the war
Against the greedy bastards who keep grinding down the poor
If you want to stop conscription stand and fight the profiteers
Bring the whole big bloody sandpit crashing down around their ears
We won't starve, said Mrs. Barbour, while the men we call our own
Are marching off to have their hearts blood washed like water down a drain

[Chorus]

Well it didn't take the government that long to realise
If you crack down on the leaders then the rest will compromise
They arrested Mrs. Barbour and they clapped her in the jail
Then they made awful big mistake, they let her out on bail
She called the men out of the factories on the Clyde and on the Cart
They marched up to the courthouse saying, "We'll tear the place apart"
Mrs. Barbour's Army brought the masters to their knees
With a regiment in pennies, backed by one in dungarees [overalls]

[Chorus]