| Sleeping Giants 52 inches suspended from the wall Desperation beamed onto the faces of all the boys & girls You'd think that they'd realise by now that it's all a sham Celebrity's celebration of "who I am" We used to write letters we used to read books We used to start fires we did more than just look Teach us not think for ourselves anymore Waving smoke and mirrors in such a stylish decor Dragging us backwards by kicking a ball Back to back coverage on news 24 As winter falls So spring arrives The beauty and grace Of the summertime If you've lost yourself Get off your knees How many more days Will make up your years |
| Long Division The boy from the north country Grew up much faster than I ever did. In 1945 he was lucky to be alive Got dragged into Napoli Leaving him shell-shocked Battle weary and scarred Dreaming of being back home His Manchester back yard Dear old Raymond he was further north, Freezing in the Baltic sea Was his view of the war Thinking of his girl from Burnley Whilst recouping up in Aberdeen But for him it was not to be, Left him for an American Marine Two skinny kids banging an old leather ball Up against a garage door Didn't know that their time had come and gone Those skinny kids didn't stand a chance When life came crashing down around their ears They put away childish things Became men beyond their years When I was a kid I thought that long division was as hard as it got for me As I just couldn't get it You sat down and showed me, unravelled so much mathematical theory That you made me get it you made me get it But you wouldn't stick around You didn't need us at all You left us but we never left you And we'll be here for your call Two skinny kids banging an old leather ball Up against a garage door Didn't know that their time had come and gone Those skinny kids didn't stand a chance When life came crashing down around their ears They put away childish things Became men beyond their year |
| Parade The wine's disappeared and the vinegar stains Half a written note on her back page There's a rage in the air for the killing on the lane But what goes on outside stays outside As we run, for the bar And we'll drink and we'll smoke And we'll snort and we'll choke For the lives on the parade Celebrate or mourn a passing unborn For the lives and the loves on the parade Drains filling up with un-seasonal decay As a boy takes the night with a bottle and a blade Vengeance he seeks is tempered by lost love Tonight there will be drink and their will be blood As we run, for the bar And we'll drink and we'll smoke And we'll snort and we'll choke For the lives on the parade Celebrate or mourn a passing unborn For the lives and the loves on the parade |
- Detroit 65
You had something missing
From your day job
So you took a holiday
To a place a little left of centre
Where you could hunker down
Escape reality
And now when I try to call you
Twenty years later
It breaks my heart
What happened
To that young disciple
So enchanted with every day
'cos all you listened to was Detroit
1965
Your heart was as big as your eyes
were wide
If I ever get to see you again I
won't remind you that
Our future was beautiful
Safe
And down the metal shutters clatter
As trainee pharmacists stand and chatter
Waiting for the bus to take them home
Tags displaying no obvious wit
The council never gets the measure of it
Wipe them down only to see them the next day
But how bad was it there for her to move
round here
Old men stand outside smoking fags
Watch the transit lives of carrier bags
Blowing up the parade and to god knows where
Mobile phone witter their treble
The daily curse of the compliant rebel
It weren't like that when he was that age
And how bad was it there for her to move
round here
Government taxes and we're in debt
Grooming on the Internet
Good kids always stay inside these days
Third generation arrested growth
Desperate for the gluttony of oafs
Displayed on every wide screen TV
And how bad was it there for her to move
round here
Sleep tight now my precious girls
Tonight we're safe in our new world
And one day we'll be on our feet again
Our old world had been burn to the ground
We leave it there in that small town
and tonight say our little prayer
At least we are safe in here, at least we
are nowhere
And down the metal shutters clatter
As trainee pharmacists stand and chatter
Waiting for the bus to take them home
Tags displaying no obvious wit
The council never gets the measure of it
Wipe them down only to see them the next day
But how bad was it there for her to move
round here
Old men stand outside smoking fags
Watch the transit lives of carrier bags
Blowing up the parade and to god knows where
Mobile phone witter their treble
The daily curse of the compliant rebel
It weren't like that when he was that age
And how bad was it there for her to move
round here
Government taxes and we're in debt
Grooming on the Internet
Good kids always stay inside these days
Third generation arrested growth
Desperate for the gluttony of oafs
Displayed on every wide screen TV
And how bad was it there for her to move
round here
Sleep tight now my precious girls
Tonight we're safe in our new world
And one day we'll be on our feet again
Our old world had been burn to the ground
We leave it there in that small town
and tonight say our little prayer
At least we are safe in here, at least we
are nowhere
The Ballad of King Canute and European Bob
Like two battered ships passing in the night
It's been a while since we sailed these
waters since you flashed your a smile
From the cape of good hope to the filthy
old dam
We navigated our bones through the
shallowest Mediterranean nights
Times were hard and fast
All of our plans were built upon a belief
That we'd master the sea
The years look like they been good to her
She radiated a beauty her teenage self
could not reveal
In a wedding dress and bridal veil
You'd think that we'd have seen that but
let's not worry about the detail
Times were hard and fast
All of our plans were built upon a belief
That we'd master the sea
Our captain's a mess, half cut and
undressed
Leading us too empathy and the Sound of
Shoom
Those knots that you fashioned in your
weathered hands
Made good by the years of experience,
laughter, joy
From Ibiza to Shoom, Spectrum to The Trip
Canute's still gurning but Bob's slipped
away
Times were hard and fast
All of our plans were built upon a belief
That we'd master the sea
Like two battered ships passing in the night
It's been a while since we sailed these
waters since you flashed your a smile
From the cape of good hope to the filthy
old dam
We navigated our bones through the
shallowest Mediterranean nights
Times were hard and fast
All of our plans were built upon a belief
That we'd master the sea
The years look like they been good to her
She radiated a beauty her teenage self
could not reveal
In a wedding dress and bridal veil
You'd think that we'd have seen that but
let's not worry about the detail
Times were hard and fast
All of our plans were built upon a belief
That we'd master the sea
Our captain's a mess, half cut and
undressed
Leading us too empathy and the Sound of
Shoom
Those knots that you fashioned in your
weathered hands
Made good by the years of experience,
laughter, joy
From Ibiza to Shoom, Spectrum to The Trip
Canute's still gurning but Bob's slipped
away
Times were hard and fast
All of our plans were built upon a belief
That we'd master the sea