This is the story of the Of Norton Folgate
Old Jack Norris, the shrimp and the cadging ramble...
A little bit of this, would you a bit of that
But in weather like this, you should wear a coat, a warm hat A needle and thread the hand of time Levinsky versus Jackie Burk Bobbing and weaving, an invisible
So for step and both light on our feet We'll travel many along dim street
Would you a bit of this, or a little bit of that? (Misses) A little bit of you like does you no harm, you know that The steady echo of the passing beat A continual dark river of In it's transience and in it's But, when the fills the gutter with gold So many priceless bought and sold
So step for step and both on our feet We'll travel many along dim street (together)
Once round Arnold Circus, and up through Petticoat Past the well of shadows, and once back round Arm in arm, an abstracted air To the people stare Out of the upstairs Because we are living like And these days last forever
Cos sailors from Africa, and the archipelago of Malay Jump ship ragged and penniless Shadwells Tiger Bay The and Irish wagtails, mothers of midnight The music hall enspilling out into bonfire light half crazed shadows, giants dancing up the brick wall Of Mr Trumans factory, waving, bottles ten feet tall
Whether one calls it Spitalfields, Whitechapel, Tower Or Banglatown. We're all in the moonlight, we're all On ground.
Oh, I'm walking down to, I'm just floating down through Won't you come me, to the Liberty of Norton Folgate But wait! that? Dan And the Limehouse
Purposefully walking nowhere, oh I'm happy just about (Have a banana) On a Sunday afternoon, the all call and shout To no-one in Avoiding people you know, you're just in you're own company The world's going by, but you're the lead in your own movie
Cos in the Liberty of Norton Walking wild and free, in your second coat, just to float In little taste of liberty A of everything you see
coming left and right Trying to flog you you don't need or want And a smiling takes your hand And drags you in his Uncles (ee-yar, ee-yar, ee-yar)
There's a Chinese man trying hard to flog you moody You know? You've seen the film, it's black and white, got no sound And a head pops up and down Right across your 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 and free, in your second hand coat, Happy to float In this little of liberty You're a of everything you see
There's the sturdy old fellows, pickpockets, dandy's, And wanderers, the feeble, the ghastly, upon whom death Had a very sure hand, Some in and patches, Reeling inarticulate full of and inordinate vivacity That jars discordantly the ear And gives an aching sensation to both pair of (Noisy and vivacity)
Ohhhh ahhhhhh 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 of the immigrant In the was a fear of the immigrant He's made his home down by the dark riverside
Ohhhh ahhhhh etc etc
He made his home there down by the They made their there down by the riverside The city up from the dark river Thames
They made their there down by the riverside They their homes there down by the riverside The city sprang up from the mud of the Thames I'll say it
(Ha ha ha, right)
in the Liberty of Norton Folgate Walking and free And in second hand coat Happy to float In this little taste of Cos you're a part of you see Yes, you're a of everything you see
With a bit of this And a little bit of A little bit of you like does you no harm And you know
Ohhhh ahhhhhh etc etc (repeat to end)