I posted it on an English Forum and then an Aussie friend came up and offered to have a go putting some music to it. Now here it is. See how you like it.
Brick Kiln Blues
It’s June, the sun shines, the sky is blue
Yet deep in the mountains, nothing sifts through
There’s no sunlight here, my child, there’s no sunlight here
On the road side by the railway station
A stranger lured you with temptation
He’s gonna sell you, my child, he’s gonna sell you
The moon’s still up, the cock hasn't crowed
You're being whipped ‘cause you’re tired and slow
But you work fifteen hours a day, my child, fifteen hours a day
In the river there swims a buffalo
Your skin diseased, your eyes shallow
They won’t let you bathe, my child, they won’t let you bathe
Those bricks you’ve baked for over a year
They made the owner a millionaire
He pays you not a penny, my child, you work for no pay
Grass withers in winter, renews in the spring
It's the same every day, you hear the bell ring
But you cannot go home, my child, you cannot go home
Run in the forest, soaked in night dew
Guard dogs baying are lookin’ for you
If you're caught, you’re dead, my child, if they catch you, you’re dead
"Ask the authorities for help?” some say
"They should put these evil men in jail."
But they sing the same tune, my child, they sing the same tune
