[Verse 1] I was all of the age of ten Got myself a little job When that pickup truck rolled to a stop We jumped right out, one by one Up and over the berm Into huts dug in the earth Lying low like a Hobbit hole We go in before the hunters arrive [Three part male harmony] No warmth from the cold No rest from the heat [Chorus] Load it, boy, keep your head down low Hear that gas motor start Orange flashes flung with a blow Shotgun blasts chase their mark Load it, boy, don't look up high The gentlemen want their sport Clip a finger but don't cry No time so don't be short [Verse 2] Sittin' there, we're like an armed crab We stack piles with discs of clay And settle in just before It's time for the men to play The flat steel claw cocks back Jumps out like a sling Placed by small fingers It better not crack, because You don't test the patience Of the man with a gun [Chorus] Load it, boy, keep your head down low Hear that gas motor start Orange flashes flung with a blow Shotgun blasts chase their mark Load it, boy, don't look up high The gentlemen want their sport Clip a finger but don't cry No time so don't be short [Verse 3] Mr. Pollard owns the shooting club grounds He says we're lucky to earn a wage We shut our mouths and didn't complain Still too young to know any other way The smell of gun oil and powder smoke Gears grind on that devil machine We load the clay on the caller's command Gun barrels rise, shooter yells "Pull" We shudder from the roar, buckshot sails [Chorus] Load it, boy, keep your head down low Hear that gas motor start Orange flashes flung with a blow Shotgun blasts chase their mark Load it, boy, don't look up high The gentlemen want their sport Clip a finger but don't cry No time so don't be short [Bridge] One day fingers did not clear Orange pieces painted the sky And Tommy was never the same The caller gave no order Men cursed at the wasted round My name was yelled, I scurried out Owner said to me, "Clean him up" At least I think to take him inside I called a doctor - poor boy had it rough It wouldn't be long before I'd had enough [Verse 4] At dusk we gather the unbroken clay Walking a field of scraps and shot Guns gone quiet, the cars roll out A Coke in the clubhouse, small reward Tomorrow morning, just after dawn More will load in the back of the truck They'll take a place down in the hole And load those flying things once again [Final Chorus] Load it, boy, keep your head down low Hear that gas motor start Sparks jump out in the dim light Load it, boy, don't look up high The gentlemen have their sport No one asked the cost so steep To blast a flying pigeon saucer With orange painted wings [Outro] The machine hums its tune We gently place the plate With only a second to wait Count our fingers and pray Any kid was glad for the pay At a dollar and a half a day
