Am                                     Em           
Out beyond the street lamps, where the calliopes roar
Am                           Em                     
Past the wrack and samphire, beyond the shore
       C                                        Dsus2
I've seen them walking through the tide, as the rain cuts through the spray
Am                            Em                 E
Chinese cockle pickers on the sands of Morecambe bay
Am                                          Em                   
I stood beside them in the corner shop, and in the market too
Am                                      Em          
I should have spoken to them, told them everything we knew
C                            Dsus2
Like our mothers told us, as we went out to play
Am                                 Em                 E                 
Never try to race and tide, on the sands of Morecambe Bay

             C                          G           
     For the tide is the devil, it will run you out of breath
     F                         G                  E
     Race you to the seashore, chase you to your death
         C                             G
     The tides the very devil, and the devil has its day
            F             G                  Am       
     On the lonely cockle banks of Morecambe bay

Am                                   Em
Saw them sending money orders home, their hard earned pay
Am                                Em
Tales of crossing borders, on the road to Morecambe bay
C                             Dsus2
Sleeping in crowded rooms, on cold hard floors   
Am                      Em              E                 
Such dreamless life, is not worth dying for

Am                                            Em
And now we see them in the distance, laid out in the morning light
Am                      Em
Migrant workers, twenty three were drowned last night
C                                Dsus2
There final phone calls, halfway round the world crossed
   Am                                Em                 E                 
As between two river estuaries, they raced the tide and lost

             C                          G           
     For the tide is the devil, it will run you out of breath
     F                         G                  E
     Race you to the seashore, chase you to your death
         C                             G
     The tides the very devil, and the devil has its day
            F             G                  Am       
     On the lonely cockle banks of Morecambe bay
         C                      G
     In Fugian and Xelang, they mourn their next of kin
     F                                        G                 E
     Gang masters, with snake tattoos, calling money loans back in
     C                                   G
     Broken hearted parents, watch their children stole away
            F               G                  Am
     To die upon the cockle banks of Morecambe bay


    Am                            Em
The tides the very devil, and the devil has its day
       F             G                  Am    
On the lonely cockle banks of Morecambe bay