West York Ballad

Grim City Vicar Lane
Hide in the arcade from the rain
Order out order in
In strife the exile life begins
Grievous Armley no repentance
Short cuts to a shorter sentence
Caught in thoughts that should stay hidden
Walking, treading, riding, ridden
On a tow path by the dead canal
Grim City cannibal
Large as lunch and quite banal
Down the Whip to meet a pal

But I'll just lie here in my bed
Thoughts of you roll round my head
Warm and still here's where I'll stay
Til all those thoughts just roll away

The Ace of Clubs is shut forever
The same old jokes tired and lame
The wiring blew no one came
No better way for a getaway
So head off for a week in Spain
Wallet fat in your back pocket
Pass through walls fly like a spirit
The exile life and how to live it

But I'll just lie here in my bed
Thoughts of you roll round my head
Warm and still here's where I'll stay
Til all those thoughts just roll away

A furious gale blew off the moors
The city center choked and fell
Under the arches an old steel door
And steps descending into hell
A house came down and crushed a car
We stood around there was no sound
We waited til we could no more
Fell backwards through the pub's front door

Grim City black and white
I'll walk you home it's dark tonight
Dark and wrong and cold and late
Through the back streets paved with hate