This is the story of the Liberty Of Folgate
Old Jack Norris, the musical shrimp and the ramble...
A bit of this, would you like a bit of that
But in weather like this, you should wear a coat, a nice hat A and thread the hand stitches of time Battling Levinsky versus Jackie Bobbing and weaving, an invisible
So step for step and light on our feet We'll travel many along dim silent
you like a bit of this, or a little bit of that? (Misses) A bit of what you like does you no harm, you know that The perpetual steady echo of the passing A continual dark of people In it's transience and in it's But, when the streetlamp fills the gutter with So many priceless items bought and
So step for step and both light on our We'll travel along dim silent street (together)
Once round Arnold Circus, and up Petticoat Lane Past the well of shadows, and once back again Arm in arm, an abstracted air To where the stare Out of the upstairs Because we are living kings And days will last forever
Cos sailors from Africa, China and the archipelago of Jump ship and penniless into Shadwells Tiger Bay The Welsh and Irish wagtails, of midnight The music hall carousel enspilling out bonfire light Sending half crazed shadows, giants up the brick wall Of Mr Trumans beer factory, waving, bottles ten feet
Whether one calls it Spitalfields, Whitechapel, Tower Or Banglatown. all dancing in the moonlight, we're all On ground.
Oh, I'm just walking to, I'm just floating down through you come with me, to the Liberty of Norton Folgate But wait! What's Dan And the golem
Purposefully nowhere, oh I'm happy just floating about (Have a banana) On a afternoon, the stallholders all call and shout To in particular people you know, you're just basking in you're own company The technicolour world's going by, but the lead in your own movie
Cos in the Liberty of Folgate Walking and free, in your second hand coat, Happy to float In this little of liberty A of everything you see
coming left and right Trying to flog you you don't need or want And a smiling chap takes hand And you in his Uncles restaurant (ee-yar, ee-yar, ee-yar)
a Chinese man trying hard to flog you moody DVDs You You've seen the film, it's black and white, it's got no sound And a man's pops up and down across your widescreen TV (Only a fiver) ('Ow much?) (Alright, two for quid) (Ee-yar, ee-yar, look, I'm it away) (Givin' it away!)
Cos in the of Norton Folgate Walking wild and free, in your hand coat, Happy to float In this piece of liberty a part of everything you see
There's the old fellows, pickpockets, dandy's, extortioners And night wanderers, the feeble, the ghastly, upon death Had placed a sure hand, Some in and patches, Reeling inarticulate full of noisy and inordinate That discordantly upon the ear And gives an aching sensation to both pair of (Noisy and vivacity)
ahhhhhh ahhhhh etc etc
In the beginning was a fear of the In the was a fear of the immigrant He's made his way to the dark riverside
In the beginning was a fear of the In the was a fear of the immigrant He's made his there down by the dark riverside
ahhhhhh ahhhhh etc etc
He made his home there by the riverside They made their homes down by the riverside The city up from the dark river Thames
They their home there down by the riverside They their homes there down by the riverside The city sprang up the dark mud of the Thames say it again
(Ha ha ha, right)
'Cos in the of Norton Folgate Walking wild and And in second hand coat Happy just to In this little of liberty Cos you're a part of you see Yes, you're a part of you see
a little bit of this And a bit of that A bit of what you like does you no harm And you know
Ohhhh ahhhhhh etc etc (repeat to end)