[Verse 1] The morning awoke on the old river’s side The hammer resounds with its thundered reply. From Clydebank through Govan the shipwrights stood Turning steel into shipping that time can’t deny. [Verse 2] They launched the Queen Mary a kingdom afloat A Clydeside-made legend to grace any port. The mighty ship Hood was built by their hands To serve its Navy throughout many lands. [Chorus] Now sing for the Clyde, its hammer, its flame For the hands that built ships for the world. Though the river runs silent, their spirit stands tall As revealed by this ballad unfurled. [Verse 3] Their craft fed the nation in trade and in need Carrying coal and hope on each tide. Each vessel a promise from Scotland’s own seed The work of the yards of the Clyde. [Verse 4] The slipways fell quiet as the years rolled on by And the ships are now things of the past. The pride of their labour still rings like a song A legacy ever to last. [Chorus] Now sing for the Clyde, its hammer, its flame For the hands that built ships for the world. Though the river runs silent, their spirit stands tall As revealed by this ballad unfurled. [Outro] A legacy ever to last. © 2026 Trevor Swistchew and The Shady River Bard. All rights reserved.
