The sovereignty of ownership
and a tale of lies
outweighs the council of friendslip
is a word to the wise

Chances are that gambling
involves a coming clean
take off the stealthy ring
Gollum's journey to be seen

Down at the orphanage it's celebration time
They're having a party, a real good time.
All the kiddies are frolicking gaily
As they get their cod liver oil daily
Queuing for the toilets to take their turn crapping
Listen to those metal doors all a-flapping.
They're as cheery as a snowman on the 1st of May,
As happy as a lonely bastard on Father's Day.

Yes, I regret
The scornful dissipation
Of my salad days
When I was strong,
Believe me,
They didn’t last too long,

Yes, I regret
All that I squandered
O’er the course
Of about fifteen years,
Believe me,
I’ve cried quite a sea of tears,

Yes, I regret
If I e’er acted cavalierly
Towards any who sought to love me
With a trusting heart,
Believe me,
I’m not so proud of my past.

It took around twenty years
To destroy an existence,
These were my most precious years,
Between late adolescence,
And early middle age,
But perhaps I am being too generous,
And that this terrible remorseless process
Of incessant self-spoliation
Persisted far beyond
A mere two decades of existence,
Still I look to the past
For a glimmer of peace,
To the past for a little release,
To the past for some consolation,
But the past remains resistant.

Yesterday for my birthday,
I started off
with a bottle of wine...
I took the train
into town...
I had half a bitter
at the Café de Piaf
in Waterloo...
I went to work
for a couple of hours or so;
I had a pint after work;
I went for an audition;
after the audition,
I had another pint
and a half;
I had another half,
before meeting my mates,
for my b’day celebrations;
we had a pint together;
we went into
the night club,
where we had champagne

This place is always a little lonely
At the weekends...no noise and life;
I like solitude,
But not in places
Where there’s recently been
A lot of people.
Reclusiveness protects you
From nostalgia,
And you can be as nostalgic
In relation to what happened
Half an hour ago,
As half a century ago, in fact more so.

Shipped away
To save the day
Not sure where they're sending me

Look left, look right
I'll have my brothers' back tonight

Jumping into darkness
All we see is black
The enemy thinking it's time to attack

Take me back to your face
I want out of this place.

The blood, the sweat, the tears
It'll all be worth it when we leave here
I'm coming back to you

One summer’s eve in Spain,
I fled through an open window,
Butterflies aflight
In the very pit of me,
And I tramped the streets,
My heart abrim
With such a love,
But a love now long gone.

With my final matches,
I forged a heart
At that maiden’s doorstep;
I was like a thief,
On that torrid night,
My heart abrim
With so much love,
But a love now long gone.

Soon I’ll sleep again,
And I will feel no pain,
For a little time,
Peace will be all mine,
My mind will seek
Freedom from the past,
And I’ll be carefree,
Although it will not last.

I remember the grey slithers of rain,
The jocular driver,
As I boarded the bus
At Temple Meads,
And the friendly lady who told me
When we had arrived at the city centre,
I remember the pub on King Street,
With its quiet maritime atmosphere…

I remember tramping to the little cottage
Where I had decided to stay
Between rehearsals
Along Park Street,
Whiteladies Road and Blackboy Hill,
My arms and hands
Aching from my bags,
I remember the grey slithers of rain…