It’s a Young Man’s Game

Lyrics

No corner shop, no launderette No pound shop by the lights No betting shop, no flower shop No garage late at night It's a road of many colours But none of them so bright It's Perrys 'For The Good Times', children But Bookers 'Time Is Tight' See I can still tie up my laces I can read a book I can show you precious love If you choose to look But reading books and tying laces Can't do me much good Not compared to feeling you Just pumping through my blood No milk round, nor no paper round The post comes once a week And the rain runs down so regularly Like kisses don't on cheek It's a life of opportunity But none of them so bleak As the feeling you're the only one In a game of hide and seek I can't fix no motorcar I can't change no light I can't do much anything Than hold you close each night I can't bend down quite so low I can't reach so high I can promise you the earth But no longer the sky It's a young man's game Just join that social club don't complain As life goes speeding by Wipe that tear from your eye It's a long way back from here to lover's lane No chatting round a homemade fire No warmth of nodding caps The allotment and the shed I knew Were both dug up for flats We're deaf as posts, we're bald as coots We're blind as bleeding bats It's Eddie's 'Hey There Lonely Girl' But 'hey there lonely chaps' No post office, no telephone box Communications gone It's a lively conversation With participant of one No cat or dog just passing by No neighbour once in a while No pat or tap on window pane To force you into smile At 9 you think that 29 Is pretty close to death At 20 think that 45 You're rounding your last breath Suddenly at 40, 50 rushes in 55 & 65 You wipe like spit from chin But 75 and 85 That dribble's part of grin The grin that life turned upside down And passed to next of kin So bees to the hive, go the over 65 On promise of the last crumb from tin Wasps to the nest go the least welcome of guests On the scent of tepid tea and iceless gin It's a young man's game