Sting and his band and Jimmy Nail perform “Shipyard” from his album and upcoming musical, The Last Ship, live at the Public Theater in New York City.
Watch Sting Live: “Shipyard”
The song introduces various characters in the shipbuilding community. In this excerpt from the performances, Sting sings the part of a shop steward.
“Ah, me name is Tommy Thompson, I’m shop steward for the Union,
Me dream is proletarian revolution,
Comrades, brothers, fellow travellers and others,
Class struggle is the means of dialectic evolution.
Das Kapital’s me bible and the ruling class are liable,
And quoting Marx and Engels, it’s entirely justifiable,
If the workers’ revolution here is ever to be viable,
And we become the rightful owners of this shipyard.
So it’s a one-day stoppage, or an overtime ban,
Or a work to rule for the Five Year Plan.
‘Til the means of production are safely in our hands,
And we become the rightful owners of this shipyard.
I’m not saying it won’t be hard if the boss hands us me cards,
When they try to close us down like other shipyards.
And if industrial action only helps the competition,
As I’ve heard the bosses bleating from their usual position,
And I stand accused of anarchy, disruption and sedition,
Well ye’ll never knock us down, you reactionary clowns!
When it’s time for occupation of the shipyard.”
