unknown

I have a letter from her
When she worked for the "woman's realm"
And all the things she promised me
She promised herself as well
She said, "i want my freedom"
And ran off along the beach
It's hard to love a girl so near
Yet so far out of reach

She came back when the tide came in
And introduced her friend to me
She said, "don't ring while he is here"
And gave me back my poetry
She expected me to understand
As she's always done this before
And now she asks me
"why don't you send me poems anymore?"

And she steals more than she buys
You can see it in her eyes
And she'll come back as soon as she's ready
She's a bad penny

Then she comes back and asks me
To sing all her favourite songs
As if she's never been away
As if she's done nothing wrong
But i've come to the conclusion
That she doesn't realise a thing
And she probably still thinks i love her
And she doesn't know that it's a sin

Music: lookofsky/sansome/calilli

With my qualifications
With my qualifications

I could get me a job walking a dog
Chopping a log, cleaning a bog

With my qualifications
With my qualifications

I could see myself stacking a shelf
As a sales assistant at do-it -yourself

With my qualifications
With my qualifications

My brother worked night and day
At the eurostar terminal
And the government gave it away

So what's the point in university?
For three years i read philosophy
Now i read barcodes all day long
Beep-beep-beep sings that check-out song

With my qualifications
Talking 'bout my qualifications
Would you like to see my ph.d.?
My bse? my gcse?
I gotta first in physics so i ought to know
If your fries are for here or to go

Words & music: lennon/mccartney

The wind sways the trees and the raindrops on the leaves
Tumble down, down my neck in the breeze

Yes, it's true i hid out in the shadow of your doubt,
And this medal that i wear is not for bravery, i'm afraid

And we're both going to have to accept
That this might be as good as it gets
As our love for each other respects
Neither rule nor reason

The queen on her throne plays shirley bassey
Records when she's all on her own
And she looks out the window
And cries

What should i do? scratch off all of my tattoos?
And forget those girls' names?
But you're not about to let me do that, are you?

And we're both going to have to accept
That this might be as bad as it gets
As our love for each other respects
Neither rule nor reason

And we're both going to have to accept
That this might be as big as it gets
As our love for each other respects
Neither rule nor reason

Words & music: cooder/titleman

Strange as it may seem, i once had my football dreams
But i was always the last one, the last to get chosen
When my classmates picked their teams

I guess that was the way it stayed in every game i played
Life just tripped me and clattered and kicked me
Till you picked me from the parade

Now i feel like i've won the cup every time that we
Make love
Forty-five minutes each way, at halftime i hear a brass
Band play

The boy done good, the girl done better,
The seasons turn and we're still together,
The sky is still blue and tomorrow is another day

You weren't that kind of a girl who likes her studs to
Be covered in mud
Taking you to the pictures was a regular fixture
For one of life's eternal subs

I tried hard acting tough, but i just can't stand the
Taste of that stuff
Like some macho park player i got in the way of
In some grudge match against his club
But i'm happier how i am today now i've put my
Boots away
I guess i'll never get picked to play my song on match
Of the day

Words: billy bragg - music: johnny marr

The party that became so powerful by sinking
Foreign boats
Is dreaming up new promises because promises
Win votes
And being resolute in conference with the
Ad man's expertise
The majority by their silence shall pay for days like these

The right to build communities is back behind
Closed doors
'tween government and people stands the right arm
Of the law
And shame upon the patriot when the mark of the
Bulldog breed
Is a family without a home and a pensioner in need

Those whose lives are ruled by dogma are waiting
For a sign
The better dead than red brigade are listening on the line
And the liberal, with a small l cries in front of the tv
And another demonstration passes on to history
Peace, bread, work, and freedom is the best we
Can achieve
And wearing badges is not enough in days like these

What was that bang? it was the next big thing
Exploding over our heads
And soon the next generation
Will emerge from behind the bike sheds
What are we going to offer them?
The exact same thing as before
But a different way to wear it
And the promise of a whole lot more

Oh, pity the pressures at the top,
The tantrums and the tears
And the sound of platinum cash tills
Ringing in their ears
Money maketh man a tory
Don't fire that assumption at me
I like toast as much as anyone
But not for breakfast, dinner, and tea

So don't saddle me with your ideals
And spare me all your guilt
For a poet with all the answers
Has never yet been built

I see no shame in putting my name
To socialism's cause
Nor seeking some more relevance
Than spotlight and applause
Neither in the name of conscience
Nor the name of charity
Money is put where mouths are
In the name of solidarity

We sing of freedom
And we speak of liberation
But such chances come
But once a generation
So i'll ignore what i am sure
Were the best of your intentions
You are judged by your actions
And not by your pretensions

There is drudgery in social change
And glory for the few
And if you don't tell me what not to say
I won't tell you what not to do