1.The Early Days Of A Better Nation
Lyricist：Jones John Longley, Telfer Ian
I fall asleep with the TV on
Wake with an ache, it's another week gone
Consider how my light is spent
And where it was that the real thing went
I asked a wise man for advice
I told him once and I told him twice
My life is one long damage limitation
He smacked me hard around the head
He handed me a card that read
Work like you were
Living in the early days of a better nation
Living in the early days of a better nation
Play that tune again! I cried
It's dead and gone, that band replied
But as they slowly tried it through
The hands remembered what they had to do
Give it poke and give it licks
The name of the tune is 'Laying The Bricks'
Let music be the people's sure foundation
I stood outside the Albert Hall
And wept and wrote upon the wall
Work like you were
Living in the early days of a better nation
Living in the early days of a better nation
We take the water to the tree
She says, now do the same for me
It takes your sweat as well as art
To dig a channel for the human heart
There is no garden of delight
Unless you weed it day or night
Don't leave your life a lifelong long vacation
I hear her whisper when we meet
And when I crawl between the sheets, she says
Work like you were
Living in the early days of a better nation
Living in the early days of a better nation
Work like you were
Living in the early days of a better nation
Living in the early days of a better nation
Work like you were
Living in the early days of a better nation
Living in the early days of a better nation
...
2.Another Quiet Night In England
Lyricist：Jones John Longley, Telfer Ian
Just another quiet night in England
And far away the dogs are barking
Just another quiet night in England
Decent folk are all in their beds
And he is sleeping like the dead
And another quiet night goes by
His father used to own the factory
But the son cashed in and he sold the site
And a town fell silent overnight
Where is the pit and the mill
Where is the skill and the strength of their hands？
Gone with the smoke and the heat
The noise of the beat of the heart of the land
And money moves without a whisper
Money has no home or nation
It has not friends and it won't stay long
Another night and the dogs are barking
You wake to the smell of burning tires
Sirens wail and the street's on fire
And another headline hits the presses
The truth runs in, the news creeps out
People stare if you scream and shout
And another quiet night goes by
3.Flatlands
Lyricist：Telfer Ian
In the middle of the journey, in the middle of the day
I came to the city and I stopped to ask the way
'What does it matter？', said the people with a sneer
'You can't get there from here'
You may be a gallant runner, you may hobble with the lame
There are forty crooked hedgerows and they all look just the
same
Traveling gets weary, you get funny in the head
Stop right here instead
Well, says I, I was only passing through
I'd like to stop and rest a while, it's true
Then I asked 'em for a job to do
They gave me life insurance and a straw to chew
Welcome to the flatlands, all the maps agree
Far as the eye can see, it's level, dead level
Flatlands, life meanders by
Chew the straw and watch the grass grow high
And its stand, we stand together, fall you fall alone
Authority's a leash of love to bring you safely home
Fools look out for trouble where foreign breezes blow
Tell your children so
They've got to keep things ticking, they must never go on strike
They'll be standing there till doomsday with their finger in the
dyke
There's faith and hope and patience and patience is the best
Turn your face from the rest
Well, says I, I'm much obliged to you
Everywhere I go I'm learning something new
If I understand your point of view
You don't believe we're dying our whole life through
Welcome to the flatlands, all the maps agree
Far as the eye can see, it's level, dead level
Flatlands, life meanders by
Chew the straw and watch the grass grow high
And if they waste nothing they can keep their little pile
And if they say nothing they will not be on file
And if they see nothing no one will see them
No one will take down their name
And if they do not panic the pain will vanish soon
And if they never sing they'll never be out of tune
And if they are faithful they will get their reward
If they are meek they will be spared
Well, says I, I was only passing through
I'd better get a move on 'cause the days are few
Poppies are red, cornflowers blue
The scythe is sharp, the mowing's due
Welcome to the flatlands, all the maps agree
Far as the eye can see, it's level, dead level
Flatlands, life meanders by
Chew the straw and watch the grass grow high
Welcome to the flatlands, all the maps agree
Far as the eye can see, it's level, dead level
Flatlands, life meanders by
Chew the straw and watch the grass grow high
Wonder where the flying years go
Chew the straw and watch the grass grow high
Wonder where the flying years go
Chew the straw and watch the grass grow high
Wonder where the flying years go
Chew the straw and watch the grass grow high
...
4.Hal-An-Tow
Lyricist：Jones John Longley, Ian Kearey, Lax Russell, Prosser Alan,
Telfer Ian
Take the scorn and wear the horns
It was a crest when you were born
Your father's father wore it
And your father wore it too
Robin Hood and Little John
Have both gone to the fair-o
We shall to the merry green wood
To hunt the buck and hare-o
Hal-an-tow, jolly rumbelow
We were up long before the day-o
To welcome in the summertime
To welcome in the May-o
For summer is coming in
And winter's gone away
What happened to the Spaniards
That made so great a boast-o？
They shall eat the feathered goose
And we shall eat the roast-o
Hal-an-tow, jolly rumbelow
We were up long before the day-o
To welcome in the summertime
To welcome in the May-o
For summer is coming in
And winter's gone away
God bless Aunt Mary Moses
With all her power and might-o
Send us peace in England
Send peace by day and night-o
Hal-an-tow, jolly rumbelow
We were up long before the day-o
To welcome in the summertime
To welcome in the May-o
For summer is coming in
And winter's gone away
Hal-an-tow, jolly rumbelow
We were up long before the day-o
To welcome in the summertime
To welcome in the May-o
For summer is coming in
And winter's gone away
5.The Generals Are Born Again
Lyricist：Prosser Alan, Telfer Ian
The generals are born again, born again, born again
The generals are born again, they're going to save the world
Their armament is seeing right, doing right, being right
The amour of righteousness is going to save the world
They're sending in the cavalry, cavalry, cavalry
The bugles and the banner boys are waiting for the word
The captain is a blind man, blind man, blind man
A blind man is reaching for a terrible swift sword
Born again, the generals are born again to save the world
Born again, the generals are born again to save the world
They'll put a stop to history, history, history
Cut through this confusion with the purity of steel
For time is just a can of worms, can of worms, can of worms
They'll blow away corruption when they break that seal
Born again, the generals are born again to save the world
Born again, the generals are born again to save the world
I'll never get to heaven, no matter what I do
I'll never be a blue eyed boy although my eyes are blue
And I will not work and I will not work and I will not work for
you
And I will not work and I will not work and I will not work for
you
Born again
I'll never get to heaven, no matter what I do
I'll never be a blue eyed boy although my eyes are blue
A star is in the firmament, firmament, firmament
A new star in the firmament, Wormwood is its name
Everyone will see the light, see the light, see the light
And though my eyes are shut I'll have to see it just the same
For peace to last a thousand years, thousand years, thousand
years
Prophecy has struck a match and held it to the fuse
They're wheeling up the cameras, cameras, cameras
They're timing Armageddon for the evening news
Born again, the generals are born again to save the world
Born again, the generals are born again to save the world
Born again, the generals are born again to save the world
Born again, the generals are born again to save the world
...
6.Pigsty Billy
Lyricist：Jones John Longley, Prosser Alan, Telfer Ian
Walking through the world with Pigsty Billy
You can feel the sun go down
Holes in your soles and nothing in your pockets
Grinning at the edge of town
Sow the yard with broken bottles
Find a message now and then
Lose the key in a patch of nettles
Never find that door again
Don't you whistle when the wind is rising
Don't tell a chicken who's got the knife
Don't you ask for drink on credit
Don't look twice at any man's wife
Walking through the world with Pigsty Billy
You can feel the sun go down
Holes in your soles and nothing in your pockets
Grinning at the edge of town
Walking through the world with Pigsty Billy
You can feel the sun go down
Holes in your soles and nothing in your pockets
Grinning at the edge of town
The stars are hard, it's a long December
Bait your line on a frozen pool
All the things you can't remember
Spring will thaw them out, the fool
Buried round behind the chapel
All tied up with a piece of string
A photograph of Greta Garbo
Rabbit's food and a curtain ring
Walking through the world with Pigty Billy
You can feel the sun go down
Holes in your soles and nothing in your pockets
Grinning at the edge of town
Walking through the world with Pigty Billy
You can feel the sun go down
Holes in your soles and nothing in your pockets
Grinning at the edge of town
Walking through the world with Pigty Billy
You can feel the sun go down
Holes in your soles and nothing in your pockets
Grinning at the edge of town
Walking through the world with Pigty Billy
You can feel the sun go down
Holes in your soles and nothing in your pockets
Grinning at the edge of town
Walking through the world with Pigty Billy
You can feel the sun go down
Holes in your soles and nothing in your pockets
Grinning at the edge of town
...
7.The Oxford Girl
Lyricist：Jones John Longley, Telfer Ian
I met a man whose brother said
He knew a man who knew the Oxford girl
Is it true what you hear, did he do it out of fear？
Was the day drawing near when a child would start to show？
Was it rage or shame or the damage to his name？
Was it something worse, does anyone know？
Did she pay a price for making them look twice？
Like a glimpse of paradise across a dull and bitter land
Did she pass them by, did she dare to meet their eye？
Did she scorn them all and did they understand？
A grief to her father, did she really leave him？
A lover to her brother, yes, we all believe him
Temptation to her betters, no better then she should be
Unfaithful to her lover, he always knew she would be
She says, 'I never had a chance to prove them wrong
My time was short, the story long
No, I never had a chance to prove them wrong
It's always them that write the song'
Did he go to ground？ Was the suitcase ever found？
Did the police come swarming round on a trail, already cold？
Did he lead them on a dance？ Did he run away to France？
Or did he shop himself before the day was old？
O, she was bound to lose if she set her face to choose
They never could excuse her for stirring up their fears
She was much to young, the earth has stopped her tongue
You can hear the voices calling down the years
She says, 'I never had a chance to prove them wrong
My time was short, the story long
No, I never had a chance to prove them wrong
It's always them that write the song'
I met a man whose brother said
He knew a man who knew the Oxford girl
It's always them that write the song
I met a man whose brother said
He knew a man who knew the Oxford girl
It's always them that write the song
I met a man whose brother said
He knew a man who knew the Oxford girl
It's always them that write the song
...
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