My goodness, I'm fed up
with working in the mill
the weight drop and yield tests in the morning
quality sampling twice a day

My goodness, I'm fed up
with spinning the reel all day
I want to go to Bergamo
to Bergamo to work

The spinning mill trade
is a killer trade
those poor daughters
stuck in there working

We are treated like dogs
like dogs on a chain
this isn't the way
to make us work

They all tell me I'm black
and it's the smoke from the boiler
my love told me
not to do this awful job

They all tell me I'm yellow
it's the vapour from the mill
when I'm in the countryside
my colours will return.