The rag and bone man gave us yellow stone
We mopped the doorsteps once day at least
Then we made them yellow for a time
The cleanliness was pride in our poor homes
It did not last, the ritual was a test
The rag and bone man gave us yellow stone
Men with muddy work shoes inwards roamed
The posh priest had good shoes of dirt divest
Still we made steps yellow for a time
We all used the hairbrush and one comb
The sideboard had a mirror,Satan’s feast
The rag and bone man gave us yellow stone
In the yard we had a privy, shame!
Then a coal shed where the cats all pissed
Then we made steps yellow half sublime
We had an air raid shelter, what a cost
Liverpool had blazed and people lost
The rag and bone man gave us yellow stone
So we made the steps clean, love comes home
