The use of this phrase and the way it is used in the song echo Native American Indian chants, at least as seen in common white culture. The song was inspired by, and used as the theme tune for "Auf Wiedersehen Pet", the British television series which began with the scenario of hard up Geordies having to go to Germany to find work on building sites. The first verse refers to this.
In the third (?) series the heroes were involved in building a bridge for a Native American tribe on their reservation and it was for this series that the tune was written and used as the theme tune.
The person who joins Mark Knopfler on stage in a video version of this track is Jimmy Nail, who was a leading actor in the series and also has a career as a singer. Legend has it that before the first series of Auf Wiedersehen Pet Jimmy Nail was a chippie working on the building sites with no previous acting experience. His surname is not in fact Nail but is a nickname deriving from his occupation as a chippie.
Why Aye Man
Mark Knopfler Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We had to leave on the ferry boat
Economic refugees
On the run to Germany
We had the back of Maggie's hand
Times were tough in geordieland
We got work tools and working gear
And humped it all from Newcastle to here
Why aye man, why aye, why aye man
Why aye man, why aye, why aye man
We're the nomad tribes, traveling boys
In the dust and dirt and the racket and the noise
Drills and hammers, diggers and picks
Mixing concrete, laying bricks
There's English, Irish, Scots, the lot
United nation's what we've got
Brickies, chippies, every trade
German building, British-made
Why aye man, why aye, why aye man
Why aye man, why aye, why aye man
Nae more work on Maggie's farm
Hadaway down the autobahn
Mine's a portacabin bed
Or a bunk in a nissen hut instead
There's plenty Deutschmarks here to earn
And German tarts are wunderschoen
German beer is chemical-free
Germany's alright with me
Sometimes I miss my river Tyne
But you're my pretty Fraulein
Tonight we'll drink the old town dry
Keep work spirit levels high
Why aye man, why aye, why aye man
Why aye man, why aye, why aye man
The lyrics to Mark Knopfler's song "Why Aye Man" tell the story of economic refugees from Newcastle who had no means to stay afloat in their home country and had to leave on a ferry boat. They are now traveling as nomads, just trying to survive and make a living. They are united as a people and come from different nationalities such as English, Irish, and Scots. They have left behind Maggie's farm and are now working in Germany.
The song highlights the struggles of people who have to migrate in search of work, and the difficulties they face when they arrive in a new country with a new language and culture. The lyrics describe the hard work and toil that goes into building a new life and the sense of unity that comes from being with others in the same situation.
Mark Knopfler paints a vivid picture of life as a migrant worker, the challenges and sacrifices people make to improve their circumstances, and how they find joy and camaraderie in their work. The song also celebrates the beauty of Germany and its people. Overall, the lyrics are a testament to the human spirit and the triumph of hope over adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
We had no way of staying afloat
We couldn't survive in our current situation
We had to leave on the ferry boat
Our only option was to flee by boat
Economic refugees
We were forced to leave due to economic reasons
On the run to Germany
We fled to Germany to find work
We had the back of Maggie's hand
We were mistreated by the government
Times were tough in geordieland
Our hometown was facing difficult times
We got work tools and working gear
We brought what we needed to work
And humped it all from Newcastle to here
We carried our tools all the way from Newcastle to where we are now
Why aye man, why aye, why aye man
An expression of enthusiasm or agreement
We're the nomad tribes, traveling boys
We're a group of traveling workers
In the dust and dirt and the racket and the noise
Our work is physically demanding and loud
Drills and hammers, diggers and picks
We use various tools to do our work
Mixing concrete, laying bricks
Our job involves building structures
There's English, Irish, Scots, the lot
We come from different parts of the United Kingdom
United nation's what we've got
We are united as workers
Brickies, chippies, every trade
We come from various trades
German building, British-made
We're using our skills to help build in Germany
Nae more work on Maggie's farm
There is no more work for us in our hometown
Hadaway down the autobahn
We're leaving for Germany
Mine's a portacabin bed
I'll sleep in a portable cabin
Or a bunk in a nissen hut instead
Or I'll sleep in a military-style building
There's plenty Deutschmarks here to earn
There's a lot of money to be made in Germany
And German tarts are wunderschoen
German girls are beautiful
German beer is chemical-free
German beer is high-quality
Germany's alright with me
I'm okay with living and working in Germany
Sometimes I miss my river Tyne
I get a bit homesick for my hometown
But you're my pretty Fraulein
But my girlfriend in Germany makes me happy
Tonight we'll drink the old town dry
We're going to have a good time tonight
Keep work spirit levels high
We need to stay motivated for our work
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Mark Knopfler
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@stewartw.9151
"Times were tough in Geordieland
We got wor tools and working gear
And humped it all from Newcastle to here"
I understand, being from Sunderland, so I humped my tools and working gear to Africa!
Left in 1975. Long before Maggie came along things were bad in Geordieland what with the three day week with no electricity meant could not work, very tough to just make ends meet. So decided to get the hell out.
Still miss the old place though, and Mark Knopfler's music and lyrics resonate still!
@MarvaGrossman
We had no way of staying afloat
We had to leave on the ferry boat
Economic refugees
On the run to Germany
We had the back of Maggie’s hand
Times were tough in Geordieland
We got wor tools and working gear
And humped it all from Newcastle to here
Why aye man, why aye, why aye man
Why aye man, why aye, why aye man
We’re the nomad tribes, travelling boys
In the dust and dirt and the racket and the noise
Drills and hammers, diggers and picks
Mixing concrete, laying bricks
There’s English, Irish, Scots, the lot
United nation’s what we’ve got
Brickies, chippies, every trade
German building, British-made
Why aye man, why aye, why aye man
Why aye man, why aye, why aye man
Nae more work on Maggie’s farm
Hadaway down the autobahn
Mine’s a portacabin bed
Or a bunk in a nissen hut instead
There’s plenty deutschmarks here to earn
And german tarts are wunderschoen
German beer is chemical-free
Germany’s alreet with me
Sometimes I miss my river tyne
But you’re my pretty fraulein
Tonight we’ll drink the old town dry
Keep wor spirit levels high
Why aye man, why aye, why aye man
Why aye man, why aye, why aye man
@Wolverines77
This song reminds me of the 7 months I worked at AFRC Chiemsee about 45 minutes east of Munich in the last few months of 89 and start of 90. It was a U.S. Military Resort open to most militaries of NATO. About 50% of our staff was English/Scottish/Irish/Welsh with Americans and Canadians making up about 30% and the other 20% from Germany/Turkey/Italy/Mexico/New Zealand/Australia/Holland/Norway. It was truly a miniture United Nations there. I was too busy drinking myself under the table every night instead of worrying about keeping my job which was one of the few that was a permanent position and would have allowed me to remain in Bavaria at the base of the Alps...
Even without my story, still would be a tremendous song.
@stephenboyd3187
A powerhouse song! Mark's composition for the boys perfectly captures everything so auftastic about that original groundbreaking show back in '83. Hearing Oz and Dennis on backing vocals really amps it up. He is a true musical genius and one of Newcastle's greatest sons.🎸👍
@Khem10
Mark !
You are my and favourites of billions of your fans across the world !!
There will never be any guitarist cum great singer of your genre …. !!!
@bwlymoas
Another great thing about Mark Knopfler, besides the magical music itself, is the education you get along with it.
Puts most of today's trash to shame. The man is a genius.
@AlicedeTocqueville
Did you know he taught journalism before he could make a living with music? He breaks my ❤ with singing stories!
@DanC-go9lc
@@AlicedeTocqueville Yes indeed Alicede ! Fascinating story in Telegraph Road .. are you familiar with it ? It is like a novel.
@AlicedeTocqueville
@@DanC-go9lc Not really; l haven't heard it in years. Can you tell us ?
@DanC-go9lc
@@AlicedeTocqueville The short version is it is the story of a small industrial town from beginning to end. Maybe a period of 100 years. Check it out.
The real Telegraph Road is in Michigan. Wish I had had a journalism professor like Mark 😃
@AlicedeTocqueville
@@DanC-go9lc Thanks!
@collierladdie
Brilliant! "...English, Irish Scots the lot, United Nations what we got".