He can knock down the wall
Build it up strong
Set the flagstones in a path


With a nail and a hammer
Barrow and saw

See about the hole in the roof

And the gathered all breathe

A sigh of relief
At completion of a well-laid plan
It's wearing the day long

And breaking the skin
In the palms of the workingman's hands


Let the tool do the work
Pull and don't push
Drag that wagon over the hill


Measure twice and cut once, son
Clear the felled brush

Edge around the gardens and walks

On a shiny John Deere

Will he reappear
With a power drill and a paintbrush
And a chip on his shoulder

As wide as a barn
And as hard as the workingman's hands


Now your Uncle John walked
A mile to school
In a storm and it was uphill both ways

Oh, you save your money for a hole in the ground
A black car and a long wall of roses


And the gathered all breathe
A sigh of relief
At completion of a well-laid plan

It's wearing the day long
And breaking the skin
In the palms of the workingman's hands


Now the old iron gate
Could use some fresh paint