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Cover Art

Long Narrow Shovel Lyrics by Dave Goulder

Requiem for Steam

1971

[Verse 1]
When it’s three o’clock in the morning
And the moon shines through the park
The railway men are going to work
And the dogs creep home in the dark
[Chorus]
With me long narrow shovel and me bread and cheese
And a little white can for me tea
When I’m too old for a fireman’s work
It’s a driver I shall be
[Verse 2]
When me boots go crunch on the gravel
And the black smoke fills the air
A wisp of steam from the cylinder taps
Of me engine waiting there
[Chorus]
With me long narrow shovel and me brеad and cheese
And a little white can for mе tea
When I’m too old for a fireman’s work
It’s a driver I shall be
[Verse 3]
Oh we fill up the tank with water
And the tender’s stacked with coal
I pick up the shovel in me frozen hands
And I fill up the fiery hole
[Chorus]
With me long narrow shovel and me bread and cheese
And a little white can for me tea
When I’m too old for a fireman’s work
It’s a driver I shall be
[Verse 4]
Then we roll on down to the cabin
And the guard is waiting there
We pick up the train from the shunting yard
And we’re off to God knows where
[Chorus]
With me long narrow shovel and me bread and cheese
And a little white can for me tea
When I’m too old for a fireman’s work
It’s a driver I shall be
[Verse 5]
Oh the fire lights up all the footplate
And the night is sharp and clear
If the man doesn’t close all the loco sheds
I’ll be here in forty years
[Chorus]
With me long narrow shovel and me bread and cheese
And a little white can for me tea
When I’m too old for a fireman’s work
It’s a driver I shall be
Credits
Dave Goulder

Dave Goulder

About “Long Narrow Shovel” by Dave Goulder

Read the complete lyrics to "Long Narrow Shovel" by Dave Goulder from the album "Requiem for Steam" in 1971. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Folk, Country.

"Long Narrow Shovel" is performed by Dave Goulder. from the album "Requiem for Steam" in 1971 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Long Narrow Shovel", explore more songs by Dave Goulder using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Long Narrow Shovel" is credited to Dave Goulder. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Long Narrow Shovel" appears on "Requiem for Steam" in 1971.

Visit the Dave Goulder artist page at /artist/dave-goulder for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.