Soft smell of summer girls walk tall by the cathedral Heeled feet and cobbled street struggle to co-exist But these long haired girls persist, with great clumsiness Me and my friends take the piss at this extreme awkwardness Scoring points with the lads but ruining our chances Of making the night fly with some long advances There’s plenty more good times to be had Down the run… Holding out for some fun Rain sparks the street lights then splash the cars that whizz by Boy-racer heartbreaker tries to sway the ladies Who pose and pout, scream and shout Casting long shadows down across the heart of town Forming lines in the cold there legs on show and souls exposed A low flying siren catches eyes as she walks by I fear the sites about to ignite The boys are on my side… We take this town for a ride Hit and run we sing our songs and shed our skins till we get home Like small potatoes on a late night radio show The music cracks a doe-eyed vamp dances from afar Twirling and whirling serpent skinned across the bar My eyes break wide as I crack a smile At this temptress of desire setting hearts on fire Black-eyed guys focus blind on her form But she doesn’t mind and continues to hypnotize Under tangled hair she casts me a stare And everything falls away… I say, ‘baby please come dance with me you look real sweet and the DJs got it right’ Problem it seems I’ve had a little too much to drink and forgotten I can’t dance! She starts to laugh, she says, ‘you dance like an old man’ I’m sure she means Travolta But I was wondering why everybody was looking over And laughing… Laughing White knights ply the rights to sweep the fireflies off their feet But get hung-up and strung-out by the bouncers on the street Girls dressing to impress, treading fine lines of excess But last the long hours through with pre-season freshness Barman’s blind spots got the college boys tied up in knots Last round whips out but a score down it won’t stop the rot The crowd it sighs as the music stops as they Turn on the club lights And push us out into the night Winning time arrives as the mob line long the high street Tired eyes spy the prize of a chance meet with some sweet thing Scattered deck of friends throwing up on the loose ends Meet them back at the kebab for a chat and a little grease to lend Pass the rank, hail a cab, haggle the man, send him astray Dodge the fare, great escape but he gives chase down the alleyway Hop a fence, left for dead by the way Bringing it back home again Where work waits for you in the morning Hit and run our songs are sung, our wings are spread now we’re alone Like small potatoes on a late night radio Small potatoes on a late night radio Small potatoes on a late night radio show…

Star struck down on the roadside, she’s cursing the clouds as they crawl by and waiting for me to arrive with the car Lisa and me, we go back such a long way, good friends since the days of loud lunch-bells and school-plays Her work does tonight and she asked if I’d mind taking her… I said sure She’s always been by my side, oh but tonight I’m damn near speechless, her beauty it stuns me to silence, I can’t take my eyes off her black dress, so endless in its elegance She’s tall in her stance but then hunches to hide it, her eyes tamed the stars if she’d just let the light in Swinging her hips as I whisper how pretty she is I once was blind, now I see the girl I want is standing next to me Lisa lights up the night with her laughter, knocking back jokes that I tell her as we stumble in late, the parties in full swing where drunkards trade dates The cross round her neck it weighed grey on her shoulders, grabbing hold tight as the work boys looked over She tugged at my arm and asked if I’d take her to dance The music changes beat, she looks to me as couples pair off For a slow dance, she’s pained waiting for me to take charge and sweep her gently in my arms, but I freeze as the moment slips past ‘I’m sorry’ I tell her but she says it’s nothing that she’ll be alright and that I shouldn’t worry But fear grips my heart as I sense that I’ve wasted this chance I once was blind, now I see the girl I want is lonely just like me Ashes of best dressed intentions are all that’s left of this work do as Lisa takes hold of her coat pleads ‘please, please take me home’ to this staid chaperone Our cars parked on top deck where moonlight it guides us, there’s no-one around as she breaks down in sadness I turn on the engine as ‘Thunder Road’ kicks in; headlights hum on full beam as I step before them She shouts, ‘what are you doing?’ It must be the moonlight; it must be her eyes, as I twist on the night Sitting scared of the moment so damn sure someone would notice, then she did something amazing, opened her door wide and cranked up the volume I took her hand soft and pulled her in tight till our hearts beat as one as we danced in the headlights Bruce kept on singing as I think I fell in love Bruce kept on singing as I think I fell… in love

No sympathy I tell Corinne for summer skirts in playful winds, landing blows that leave her dress breathless And taunt her with endearing recklessness My love for her is real… Dragging heels through Bexley’s battlefields The clock tower is crumbling down where snipers sit the battle out, tagging their names onto the brick walls As shifting clouds pull shapes around a dead sky Brake lights shine from the roads… Where alloyed cars go racing past St George’s flags dragged upon their windows The autumn change from summers rage lines the streets with leaves again, dirty dancing across the Broadway Mixing with kids whose lips lead them astray They anxiously bait… And went to count their lucky stars to find that some of them had been misplaced Undercover police cars sit on yellow lines and scout the kids, clawing away at the bus stop Corinne and me walked nervously through the cross-fire She pulled my arm in tight… ‘Freewheelin’ style we stumbled by and I prayed to God one day that she’d be mine She left her coat at home tonight and shivered in the fading light, hunching her shoulders to the heavens I take a chance and place my coat around her She laid the softest kiss on my cheek And playfully then states to me ‘mister you know this doesn’t mean a thing’ Her eyes could shoot the moonlight through and though I’m sure she always knew, I never told her how I felt for her As I joked about her love for all things green I think this made her mad… As she crossed her arms and threw my jacket back A hard rain began to fall as we ducked into a shopping door… The Broadway kids retreated to their trenches Finally she and I remained… But whilst our eyes were watching God the ground beneath our feet it broke away I leaned and watched as from the door she stepped into the bustling storm and started to dance between the raindrops Who knew an angel’s grace could be so fair My love for her is real… Still dragging heels through Bexley’s battlefields

The high street buzzes in the night time With bodies lit up in the starlight Across the tracks I slide to meet Lisa at the check-in line She would… Pull me tight like a runner in the night With a promise on her lips and the devil in her eyes she’d cry ‘Let’s stay out all night’ Sunshine is waiting for us at the finish line As we open our hearts to the sound of the stars dancing in the sky Down on the steps they’ve got their hands tied Punch-drunk love hit them on the blindside Me and Lisa step inside to be buried alive till closing time Then she’d… Take my hand lead me back across the tracks To that barren land on the hilltop high and sigh ‘Don’t leave me alone tonight’ Sunshine is waiting for us at the finish line As we open our hearts to the sound of the stars swaying in the sky ‘Don’t close your eyes just yet the moon won’t let us drown in the night And come the sunrise… your be alright’ Our days spent dancing on a fine line Caught out by full moons and high-tides As we sit here and watch the day rise It makes me realize… To be young, is to be free, is to be alive Sunshine is waiting for us at the finish line As we open our hearts to the sound of the stars dancing in the sky They dance for you and I, its all in our hearts and minds

Doves wait on the cusp of the flood Beside Noah’s arms wide embracing the sun Where the light bends friends are forged Where the hope ends dreams will die If we stay one step behind Grace survives… Cast your heart to the Thames and make peace with the flood Brace yourself for the rain and high tides to come Up on the banks the street-kids catch fire Waving white flags from the bars punctured sides Blinded by faith in the moons healing light The night survives… Chrome ghosts sell their souls outside the square Girls stripped to their belts melt hearts of the devils there As kids they make a pact with the night Casting eyes over the sites for a well read blessing by the riverside Wounded witnesses mix with the street-kids and part schoolboy wishes with their tasteless kisses A Samarian spirit pulls thorns from the lilies crying, ‘somebody help me, it’s not quite finished’ Southbank charmers tease the night workers, the street-kids stagger dragging fingers like daggers As they look to the sky for a sign that the bows in the cloud Chrome ghosts sell their souls outside the square Girls stripped to their belts melt hearts of the devils there The kids they make a pact with the night Casting eyes over the sites for a well read blessing by the riverside Doves wait on the cusp of the flood Beside Noah’s arms wide embracing the sun The Thames runs a course back out to the sea Filled with remorse for the fortune it keeps As faith-fearing hearts drag sparks cross the streets Grace digs deep…

Sunlight reigns on George’s midday parade; blinking and winking at the girls passing him by This stony faced pilgrim’s taste for the summer girls chaste, there past the cathedral looking for a good time Open eyed tourists arrive on their coaches; flashing and gassing at the sights in all there glory Whilst open-top buses stop as the commissioner takes a shot, at bringing to life this cities page three story Take me safely in your arms Lately I’ve been feeling alive, alive City skies break through the high rise and shine, shine Beneath the suns heat, George’s angels run wild The bells of the spire chime as the face strikes five and young lovers rush to meet each other on the steps of St Pauls Putting there love on show so that everyone knows, as they walk off hand in hand through the chapel halls Take me safely in your arms Lately I’ve been feeling alive, alive City skies break through the high rise and shine, shine Beneath the suns heat, George’s angels run wild

Queen bee cut through the Bexley streets where pearly kings laid down well groomed wreaths Roads had been swept for courtesy curb rejects as the toothless bums were kidnapped from the worn park steps Officers bowed behind dusted lapels as gaunt grammar school boys taunted the shy Catholic school girls Out of breath toy soldiers were on top of yearly contests, beaming like studded stars as she hung tin medals round their sunburnt necks Cooley kids formed a string quartet playing out of date licks for All the Queens Men Flag waving arms ached in the afternoon heat as the pearly kings… Clapped hands and tapped their feet Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, dear majesty Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, dear majesty Walkabout cross town had her playing up to the blood baiting crowd as she opened a bottle of fairy liquid and tipped it in the Broadway water fountain As the bubbles poured out the cheering crowd picked up a shout; ‘Who’ll save the Queen?’ Wearing a Union Jack ascot hat and a flattering poker-dot Mac, she worked the paparazzi line like a real red carpet pro Taking time out to speak on a young fans phone, to his Nan struggling with hearing loss sitting safely at home Army grunts catch their breath striking lion like fronts for All the Queens Men Broad shouldered soldiers barked orders in the heat as these crew cut kids… Marched arms and stamped their feet Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, dear majesty Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, dear majesty Banishing the soft spots of rain with this old tribal dance, she handed out her grandson’s number to the prettiest girls in this town As boroughs best athletic hope cracked a joke in his tightest tracky-Bs, the Queen grabbed the bouquet of posies from his grip and whispered something sweet in his ear Cineworlds smell of stale popcorn it drew the procession to halt, Harry Potter screen three sold out to the Queen and her entire entourage This block-eyed security guide pulled out an ‘unlimited refill Tomb Raider flask’ and handed it to the star struck school kid working the till behind the glass This red-faced fool, tripped on his shoe, falling head over heels, dropping the flask and the food. Flash photos showed him fighting the tears as the Queen so compassionately… Grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, dear majesty Bleeds from the cracks on these dead end streets Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, dear majesty Raw eyed recruits were broke and beat when she finally made it to their street, orders forced round the Danson assault course waiting for the film to come to an end Major Tom apologized for the eye watering smell of salt and sweat but the Queen just laughed and cracked a gag saying she preferred… Well worn men The renovated old Danson house opening was her final port of call, but she’d hardly been inside for long when she burst back out through the front doors Screaming high, swearing blind she’d seen a ghost skulking the halls, as she jumped in her car, hit the lights and trailed like fire down the main road The tourist board saw park sales sore as out of town kids camped out on the estate floors This haunted endorsement brought the cash flooding in, whilst the Bexley streets… Buzzed with tales from the Queens visit

Words were tight on the roads tonight; blank faces stride paces back home No sound as the cities locked down ‘cept sighs for dreams left untold The distant ring of a siren scream echoed in the suspicious stars Watchmen bound by the cold winds of town fade out with wound wearied hearts Silent night as the city dies In the moons fragile light, they cross the bridge with heads held high Bones were bruised and splint set to lose as soft drops of rain started to trace Heavens grace washing over the pain and emptiness drowning this place Silent night as the city dies In the moons fragile light, they cross the bridge with heads held high Life moves on for the fortunate ones, a detachment sets up in their souls Side by side pledging time in the night, with their families waiting back home

Solomon got involved on a Friday night, showing some self-control at the vital time Abby wants to be more than a one night stand Brought up lonely, turned out to mean just good friends dancing up against me Lead them, lead them, lead them on These high street youths set loose upon the dance floor Soul’s seat bold next to the shop girls Craving salvation but their lines are well worn Abby she’s running on empty But her beauties for sale at the price of a short Riot squad sing along to the trash house band, riffing on ‘US Bonds’ to make the dance floor crack Abby tempts the frauds schooled to knock them back High street heartache, fumbled last train, worn down states but faith keeps us alive Eye them, eye them, eye them up These stone stares cut the hope out of the patrons, so let’s move on Soul’s seat bold next to the shop girls Craving salvation but their lines are well worn Abby she’s running on empty But her beauties for sale at the price of a short Dolled up nice on a Friday night Dolled up nice on a Friday night Dolled up nice on a Friday night Dolled up nice on a Friday night

Last train headache arrives again, hung out to dry the stars cave in A station rush sure beats the bus crushed up against the working men Night life must end with loud regrets, St Paul he never meant we he said Bad mouthing off inspector cops, insults they took as a serious threat Platform scene police seal his fate The last train home is running late Some Swedish fare is worse for wear, weak drunk on English medicine Squinting his eyes at the carriage lights, easing his mind on Sarah’s legs Full throated sighs at train track grinds, try as he might his time has come Yanks the stop line, train doors pull wide and throws up beside the platform run Inspector slaps on the spot fine The last train home is blocking the line Well read young heirs, swim shallow depths, backbiting friends they left for home Such spoon-fed sense, self righteous men voice words so dense my blood goes cold The night’s best dressed usual suspect is curled up wrecked and left to rot Oh what a mess, the drink has set and now she sleeps straight through her stop Three wheel dealers trade tips on stock The last train home is rambling on… Stale air carries its own heartbeat, unsavoury taste it chafes my lips, Drunk skunks asleep across three seats, dry beer slips from his fingertips High heeled regrets from Dartford’s pets, clicking their heels and cursing their steps Burger King stench makes hard-necks wretch as sauce spills down the toe-rags legs City lights die through the window The last train home is taking its toll Take me home, take me home, take me home, take me home Take me home, take me home, take me home, take me home