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The Mill Whistle

The years, the years have come and gone
While the mill pumps the life into our town
Ship after ship gorged with paper tried and true
But one thing stays unchanged decades through
Like a call from the past for all who knew

'Cus at a quarter to eight and eight o'clock
You can hear the whistle scream
Ringing clear for miles around
You'll swear it's always been
When the whistle roared at the hour of four
And the days sweat and toil was done
Each home would pray that the mill would stay
And we'd always hear ... the whistle blow!

The faces and the names have changed with time
Chippers take the place of stones that grind
No substations and floor that once we knew
But with pride we set our clocks to a favourite tune
We always set our clocks to that tune

'Cus at a quarter to eight and eight o'clock
You can hear the whistle scream
Ringing clear for miles around
You'll swear it's always been
When the whistle roared at the hour of four
And the days sweat and toil was done
Each home would pray that the mill would stay
And we'd always hear ... the whistle blow!

Sometimes fire or emergencies unknown
Short blasts would turn the heads of those at home
Throughout each day its echoes sounding clear
Sometimes at night you'd wake from sleep as it ripped the air
Your eyes would shut with the ring through the still night air

'Cus at a quarter to eight and eight o'clock
You can hear the whistle scream
Ringing clear for miles around
You'll swear it's always been
When the whistle roared at the hour of four
And the days sweat and toil was done
Each home would pray that the mill would stay
And we'd always hear ... the whistle blow!

No one knows what the future has in store
The day may come when the paper rolls no more
But like the men that gave the best years of their lives
A simple blast will always blow strong in our minds
The voice of a mill that shaped our lives

'Cus at a quarter to eight and eight o'clock
You can hear the whistle scream
Ringing clear for miles around
You'll swear it's always been
When the whistle roared at the hour of four
And the days sweat and toil was done
Each home would pray that the mill would stay
And we'd always hear ... the whistle blow!

####.... The Sharecropper Trio ....####