Streets of London - Ralph McTell

Have you seen the old man in the closed-down market Kicking up the papers with his worn-out shoes? In his eyes you'd see no pride, hands held loosely by his side Yesterday's papers, telling yesterday's news So how can you tell me you're lonely And say for you the sun won't shine? Let me take you by the hand And lead you through the streets of London I'll show you something to make you change your mind Have you seen the old girl who walks the streets of London Dirt in her hair and her clothes in rags? She's no time for talking, she just keeps right on walking Carrying her home in two carrier bags So how can you tell me you're lonely And say for you the sun won't shine? Let me take you by the hand And lead you through the streets of London I'll show you something to make you change your mind In the all-night cafe at a quarter past eleven Same old man sitting there on his own Looking at the world over the rim of his tea-cup Each tea lasts an hour then he wanders home alone So how can you tell me you're lonely And say for you the sun won't shine? Let me take you by the hand And lead you through the streets of London I'll show you something to make you change your mind I'll show you something to make you change your mind

Streets Of London Have you seen the old man In the closed-down market Kicking up the paper, With his worn out shoes? In his eyes you see no pride Hand held loosely at his side Yesterday's paper telling yesterday's news Have you seen the old girl Who walks the streets of London Dirt in her hair and her clothes in rags? She's no time for talking, She just keeps right on walking Carrying her home in two carrier bags. In the all night cafe At a quarter past eleven, Same old man is sitting there on his own Looking at the world Over the rim of his tea-cup, Each tea lasts an hour Then he wanders home alone *So how can you tell me you're lonely, And say for you that the sun don't shine? Let me take you by the hand and walk you through The streets of London I'll show you something to make you change your mind Have you seen the old man Outside the Seaman's Mission Memory fading with the medals that he wears In our winter city, The rain cries a little pity For one more forgotten hero And a world that doesn't care

I like to walk in the summer breeze Down Dalling Road by the dead old trees And drink with my friends in the Hammersmith Broadway Dear dirty delightful, old drunken old days Then the winter came down and I loved it so dearly The pubs and the bookies, where you'd spend all your time And the old men that were singing "When the Roses Bloom Again And Turn Like the Leaves To a New Summertime" Now the winter comes down, I can't stand the chill That comes to the streets around Christmas time I'm buggered to damnation and I haven't got a penny To wander the dark streets of London And every time that I look on the first day of summer Takes me back to the place where they gave ECT And the drugged up psychos with death in their eyes And how all of this really means nothing to me And now the winter comes down, I can't stand the chill That comes to the streets around Christmas time I'm buggered to damnation and I haven't got a penny To wander the dark streets of London And every time that I look on the first day of summer Takes me back to the place where they gave ECT And the drugged up psychos with death in their eyes And how all of this really means nothing to me And now the winter comes down, I can't stand the chill That comes to the streets around Christmas time I'm buggered to damnation and I haven't got a penny To wander the dark streets of London To wander the dark streets of London To wander the dark streets of London

Delia, Delia, how can it be? You love that old rounder, but you don't love me Well, that's one more rounder gone Delia, Delia sitting all around Some of your old rounders gonna pay my way back home Sitting on the housetop, high as I can see You love that old rounder, but you don't love me Delia's poor mother took a trip out West When she returned, Delia lyin' in rest Delia's mother wept, Delia's father moaned They'd have wanted their poor child to die at home Rubber tired buggy, two-seated hack, Took Delia to the graveyard, never brought her back Kenny lookin' high, Kenny lookin' low, Shot poor Delia with that hated .44 Delia, Delia, wouldn't take no one's advice Last words I heard her say were, "Jesus Christ!" Judge said to Kenny, "Here's a natural fact: You going to wait in jail till Delia come back" Kenny's in the basement, drinking from a silver cup Delia's in the graveyard, never come back up Kenny said to judge, "What's the fuss about? Just that no good woman trying to put me out"

I was travelin' through South Americas Walked up to a lady's house Called her Grandma Didn't know her name, she give me something to eat Walked on down the road I heard a old train, getting off like this I heard a old bell ring, kinda like this I went on down, I heard an old whistle blow, I heard it saying Look a-yonder Look a-yonder At the women At the women I went on then, and begin to sing to the engineer Mr. Engineer, let a man ride the blinds Mr. Engineer, let a poor man ride the blinds Said, "I wouldn't mind it, fella But you know this train ain't mine" I begin to hear that old fella blow it long, sho' Here the way he blowed Then I begin to sing to him one more time You're a cruel fireman, low-down engineer You're a cruel fireman, low-down engineer I'm trying' to hobo my way And you leave me standing' here Then I go along further and begin to sing "Poor Boy" to him Then he begin to smile in my face Get up, fella, ride all 'round the world Get up, fella, ride all 'round the world Poor boy, you ain't got no girl Then I begin to hear him tell me about those cheese and eggs How he wanted 'em fixed Hear him say Scrambled down Scrambled down Scrambled down Then I begin to hear him tell me about those cheese and eggs I hear him say Cheese Eggs Dinner Dinner Then I begin to hear him tell me about Emry I love you Emry, I love you true Love you, Emry, tell the world I do 'Em

Wake up mama, turn your lamp down low Wake up mama, turn your lamp down low Have you got the nerve to drive Papa McTell from your door My mother died and left me reckless My daddy died and left me wild, wild, wild Mother died and left me reckless Daddy died and left me wild, wild, wild No, I'm not good lookin' I'm some sweet woman's Angel child You're a mighty mean woman, to do me this a way You're a mighty mean woman, to do me this a way When I leave this town, pretty mama, I'm going away to stay While I loved a woman, better than even I'd ever seen I once loved a woman, better than even I'd ever seen Treat me like I was a king and she was a doggone queen Sister, tell your brother, brother tell your auntie now Auntie tell your uncle, uncle tell my cousin now, cousin tell my friend Goin' up the country, mama, don't you want to go? May take me a fair brown, may take me one or two more Big Eighty left Savannah, Lord, and did not stop You ought to saw that colored fireman when he got that boiler hot You can reach over in the corner mama and hand me my travelin' shoes You know by that, I've got them Statesboro blues Mama, sister got 'em, auntie got 'em Brother got 'em, friend got 'em, I got 'em Woke up this morning, we had them Statesboro blues I looked over in the corner, grandpa and grandma had 'em too