These Hands The Young'uns

The War’d not long been over, and the future seemed so bright
We gathered in the churchyard, in Georgetown at night
He said, “There’s work in England, for woman and for man”
So I clapped the handsome stranger with these hands

Farewell to Guiana, the land where I was born!
We sailed for South Hampton on a bright April morn
And the moon was sinking quickly as we looked back to the land
And I held on to the railing with these hands

Now when we came to England, it was late in the night
Took a train to Paddington, and my, what a sight!
Was a white woman sweeping up around a paper stand
And I rubbed my eyes in wonder, with these hands

Now I was a hard worker, and I had skills to share
Songs to sing, and joy to bring, and children to bear
But “No blacks, no dogs, no irish!” I couldn’t understand
But I wiped away my tears with these hands

Now, the first place that I had to rent, it didn’t have a bath
The next place barely had a roof, sometimes you have to laugh
For under an umbrella well, it wasn’t what I’d planned
But I cooked the christmas dinner with these hands

I became a foster-mother, took a hundred children in
Loved everyone, kissed everyone, no matter what their skin
And they offered me an MBE, I said, “I don’t need one
“Besides, I’ve no good dress to wear it on.”