It's a hard life for a girl on the cut
Doing the work of a full grown man
Pushing a barrow and shoveling the coal
Plenty of work on her hands

It's a hard life for a wife on the cut
Spending her days with a bargee man
Sharing his work through the good times and bad
Coping as well as she can

It's a hard life for a mum on the cut
Rearing her family the decent way
Mending and cooking and keeping them clean
Nothing but work all the day