5.15 A.M.
Snow laying all around 
A collier cycles home 
From his night shift underground 
Past the silent pub 
Primary school, workingmens club 
On the road from the pithead 
The churchyard packed 
With mining dead 

Then beneath the bridge 
He comes to a giant car 
A shroud of snow upon the roof 
A mark ten jaguar 
He thought the man was fast asleep 
Silent, still and deep 
Both dead and cold 
Shot through 
With bullet holes 

The one armed bandit man 
Came north to fill his boots 
Came up from cockneyland 
E-type jags and flashy suits 
Put your money in 
Pull the levers 
Watch them spin 
Cash cows in all the pubs 
But he preferred the new nightclubs 

Nineteen sixty-seven 
Bandit men in birdcage heaven 
La dolce vita, sixty-nine 
All new to people of the tyne 

Who knows who did what 
Somebody made a call 
They said his hands 
Were in the pot 
That he'd been skimming hauls 
He picks up the swag 
They gaily gave away 
Drives his giant jag 
Off to his big pay day 

The bandit man 
Came north to fill his boots 
Came up from cockneyland 
E-type jags and flashy suits 
The bandit man 
Came up the great north road 
Up to geordieland 
To mine 
The mother lode 

Seams blew up or cracked 
Black diamonds came hard won 
Generations toiled and hacked 
For a pittance and black lung 
Crushed by tub or stone 
Together 
And alone 
How the young and old 
Paid the price of coal 

Eighteen sixty-seven 
My angel's gone to heaven 
He'll be happy there 
Sunlight and sweet clean air 

They gather round the glass 
Tough hewers and crutters 
Child trappers and putters 
The little foals and half-marrows 
Who pushed 
And pulled the barrows 
The hod boys 
And the rolleywaymen 
5.15 A.M.