Derelict

Lyrics

Part 1 - Intrusion - (Et frangentes circa domos intrans) Danger, do not enter, he takes a picture and clambers past Rusty staircase holding tight to the hand-rail Prises ajar the fire escape Into the gloaming, rodents scuttle by unseen Grey concrete corridor with some trepidation The sound of water draws him deeper inside Broken and gone, still holding on But where's the beauty that he came in here to find? Bright colours faded, 30 years of neglect Dust motеs dancing in the shafts from high windows Footfalls echo through the vast еmpty space Urban explorer, camera in hand Enjoys the melancholy reminiscence For a place he never knew Those halcyon days left decades behind Calls from the past echo through the silence He's not chasing a thrill as much as a feeling Broken and gone, still holding on Somehow more beautiful than when it was alive Broken and gone, still holding on Somehow more beautiful than when it was alive Broken and gone, still holding on Somehow more beautiful than when it was alive Broken and gone, still holding on Part 2 - The Way We Were Child of the 50s, indoor heated swimming pool With green plastic foliage hanging from the roof Square viewing portals under the deep end The view from the windows across the bay, the families came "our true intent, for your delight" But now you're broken beyond repair So long abandoned; must feel like no one cares You've lost your hope, you've lost your friends Now echoes of summers and children's squeals Fill your memories, haunt your dreams So passed the years of quiet neglect Chains and padlocks your only friend today Reborn in the 80s into the super-splash fun pool Curved edges and rapids and water jets Glass-fibre formation of rocks round the jacuzzi Your flume tower could be seen from five miles away in your heyday Those spiralling tubes, red gold and blue Seems like you're broken beyond repair So long abandoned, it must feel like no one cares You've lost your hope, you've lost your friends After a while the cracks showed through There's not much more that they could do They closed your doors for the final time Chains and padlocks your only friend today (If you could peel away the new tiles and curved edges the original pool is still there underneath) Part 3 - Reflections Still full, green water, broken chairs and tables stare up from the oily depths Algae, graffiti, an authentic testimonial to a bygone age This building's condemned because it's an eyesore But when I look inside that's not what I saw It's beauty overwhelming, remnant of a grand design A strange sense of excitement as I walked inside Footfalls drifting, cracked tiles shifting Rafters rusting, foliage dangling Windows smashed in, debris settling Paintwork peeling, dust motes dancing Aquatic recreation; a monument in time A strange sense of enlightenment as I walked inside Part 4 - The Best Is Yet To Come You can't be broken beyond repair (it's never too late) You can't be broken beyond repair (why don't you open your eyes) You can't be broken beyond repair (i know you didn't mean it) You can't be broken beyond repair (love to everyone in creation) You can't be broken beyond repair (it's never too late) You made some bad choices but don't despair It's never too late to start again (why don't you open your eyes) When we've been here 10,000 years bright shining as the sun We've no fewer days to turn the page and be amazed than when we first began