The King Blues Album

You can lean on me,
Cry on my shouder,
If I'm Obelix,
You are my boulder,

Well I ain't never seen such a big hard bastard cry like I did that day,
He said "I lost everything that ever meant anything and I can't go on living this way",
He slammed his pint down on the table and said "I ain't never drinking again",
I put my hand on his shoulder, looked him square in the eye and I said "listen my friend,

You can lean on me,
Cry on my shoulder,
If I'm Obelix,
You are my boulder"

I said "If you need a place to stay you can always come over,
I'll clean out the front room and you can sleep on my sofa",
He said "I can only apologise if I seem out of touch,
The only reason I scream and shout is cos I care so much",

You can lean on me,
Cry on my shoulder,
If I'm Obelix,
You are my boulder.

I’m gonna dance like nobody’s watching,
I’m gonna sing like no-one’s listening,
I’m gonna kiss you like we are all alone cos this world is ours,
We’re the have not’s but the have all’s,
At twice the speed of lightning I travel,
Through the universe I will run to write your name in the stars,
Cos some truths will last forever,
Music can bring the world together,
I got life man I will use it til they lay me down to rest,
So let’s party in the supermarkets,
Move to the rhythm of my heartbeat,
I’ll take my tie right off my neck and wear it tied up round my head,

I got love, I got so much love,
Love in my heart and this feeling I can’t let it go,

Mountains crumble as I pass,
This life’s too beautiful to last,
I feel a spirit rise inside me, something’s happening in the air,
With my feet right on the ground,
And my head up in the clouds,
We are one people, we are equal, you are wonderful and rare,

I got love, I got so much love,
Love in my heart and this feeling I can’t let it go,

Though we try so hard, they disdain us,
But these walls they can’t contain us

I laugh right in the face of death,
I’ll fight this fight til my last breath,
For the frightened fall as often yet far closer than the brave,
We only got one life, let’s use it,
You can’t stop the movement,
So choke on that, you can quote that, you can write it on my grave,

I got love, I got so much love,
Love in my heart and this feeling I can’t let it go

Will you still love me, will you still hug me,
When I’m 84,
When I’ve been working all my life,
And I’m still bloody poor?
Dust in my lungs, a broken back,
Still can’t retire it hurts,
I’m all for workers’ rights and that,
As long as I don’t have to work,

So hats off to the schemers, to the scroungers, to the rats,
To the ones who sleep on mattresses on the floor, clutching baseball bats,
To the beggars and the cheaters and the kings who rise at noon,
To the scoundrels, the misfits, the parasites, this one’s for you,

“Don’t send me on another New Deal course,
I can already spell my name, you lot take the piss”

Maybe I’ll never shoot a rabbit,
Perhaps I’ll never drink champagne,
But that’s alright with me,
I prefer cider anyway,
I’m happy doing nothing,
They tell me it’s all a waste,
But I ain’t never seen no 3 piece suit,
With a smile on his face,

So hats off to the schemers, to the scroungers, to the rats,
To the ones who sleep on mattresses on the floor, clutching baseball bats,
To the beggars and the cheaters and the kings who rise at noon,
To the scoundrels, the misfits, the parasites, this one’s for you,

“I searched all the newspapers and made my CV,
I swear there just ain’t nothing out there”

A 9 to 5, 5 days a week,
Is bottom of my list,
I just couldn’t live with myself,
Knowing there was something that I missed,
So don’t go telling me “Take it seriously”,
Believe me I do,
But life’s for living, not for working,
And I got better things to do,

So hats off to the schemers, to the scroungers, to the rats,
To the ones who sleep on mattresses on the floor, clutching baseball bats,
To the beggars and the cheaters and the kings who rise at noon,
To the scoundrels, the misfits, the parasites, this one’s for you

We’ll walk through the city at night,
And talk about what holds no relevance,
Swaying and stumbling with my arm around yours,
I can see pink elephants,
And the smell of kebab meat and sausage in batter,
Will always remind me of you,
In the chip shop at the end of the night,
Making sure I get some food,

So kiss me underneath this lamppost light,
I know it smells of piss but
You look beautiful tonight,

If I had the money we’d be in a cab,
Not waiting for this bloody bus,
But I’ll hold you tight so you don’t get cold,
You’re never one to fuss,
I kiss you after you’ve thrown up in the gutter,
I’d do anything for you,
A broken heart and a poisoned liver,
But we will stumble through,

So kiss me underneath this lamppost light,
I know it smells of piss but
You look beautiful tonight,

My head is spinning and my body’s shaking,
As I cover my eyes from the light,
Why do I feel so dehydrated,
When I drank so much last night?
When you breathe I feel your tiny body move next to me,
And my heart beats like a hammer Lord knows,
Cos I’ve travelled through a million towns,
But I never seen two eyes as lovely as those,

So kiss me underneath this lamppost light,
I know it smells of piss but
You look beautiful tonight

From the firey pits of camden town
To elephant and castle underground
There ain't no teachers in the school
they're all out hustlin' playin' pool
The neighbours complain about the noise
There's girls in labour with tory boys
I say my prayers and go to bed
and wake up with a horses head

But if we lean on you, we are gonna fall
When it's all for one, and one for fuck all

I will save the world, I will get the girl
I'll dismantle a ticking time bomb with just one second to spare
I will save the world, I will get the girl
And you will all point up at the sky as I fly right through the air

Mother earth is begging you to quit
So you reach the moon and stick a flag in it
Well I believe in the people of america, but I still can't believe the terminators the governor
As the soldiers prepare for combat, someone asks do you want freedom fries with that?
We put the 'oops' back in troops now it seems to absurd
But going to war, to prevent war, was the most stupid thing I ever heard.

I will save the world, I will get the girl
I'll dismantle a ticking time bomb with just one second to spare
I will save the world, I will get the girl
And you will all point up at the sky as I fly right through the air

I'm a 20 something OAP
I'm screaming at my TV
Playing knockdown ginger, kiss me quick
Karate chop and kung-fu kick
I try to live a life that's full
To keep my damage minimal
But only the balief visits me
And he never stays for a cup of tea

But if we lean on you, we are gonna fall
When it's all for one, and one for fuck all

I will save the world, I will get the girl
I'll dismantle a ticking time bomb with just one second to spare
I will save the world, I will get the girl
And you will all point up at the sky as I fly right through the air

Every time I think about her a star lights up in the sky,
The clouds aren’t out tonight and so I sit and wonder why,
I’ve only used 3 of my 9 lives,
This is not the last that she has seen of me,
I will roam the desert, I will sail the seven seas,
Just to be near her, just to hear her scream,

With a girl like you, it ain’t easy being me,
You’re the only one that rings my bell, the only one that’s free,
I would do anything, anything for you my darling,
With a girl like you, it ain’t easy being me,

I hold this dagger tightly closely to my chest,
While others sleep I climb for when I’m dead I’ll rest,
You make me fly but why won’t you confess,
I’ll attach these blinders, I will harness up my reigns,
You ride on inside me, you are the blood in my veins,
As the teardrops fall from heaven once again,

With a girl like you, it ain’t easy being me,
You’re the only one that rings my bell, the only one that’s free,
I would do anything, anything for you my darling,
With a girl like you, it ain’t easy being me,

Lord fill my cup til it is flowing at the brim,
For I can feel the roaches crawling deep under my skin,
Untie the parasite, let love and light begin,
If you cut us we shall bleed, if you wrong us we shall revenge,
I shall take this sword upon you and with it I shall avenge,
Villainous symphony, they’ve all got it in for me again,

With a girl like you, it ain’t easy being me,
You’re the only one that rings my bell, the only one that’s free,
I would do anything, anything for you my darling,
With a girl like you it, it ain’t easy being me

We stood in front of tanks at
Tiananmen Square,From Berlin to
Chiapas we are everywhere,And
over the sirens of the police
cars,You can hear us shout “The
streets are ours!”'69 Chicago
ushered in a new age,We brought
the war home with the days of
rage,And over the sirens of the police cars you can hear us shout: 'These streets are ours!' In Seattle we chased out
the World Trade Organisation,On
Mayday we gave Winston Churchill a
mohican,Kept the water for the
people in Cochabamba,Demanded
autonomy on the dawn of NAFTA,So
send in the clowns, someone send
in the clowns,The black bloc,
the antiFA and the undergrounds,A big, pink,
marching samba band,And we'll
take our own route that ain't
pre-planned,From the social
centres and the Brighton
Schnews,From Indymedia reporting
our own news,Over the sirens of
the police cars,You can hear us
shout “The streets are ours!" We threw the bomb at
Haymarket Square,We fly the
black flag everywhere,And over
the sirens of the police
cars,You can hear us shout “The
streets are ours!”

I was classic bullying material strictly speaking
I was 4ft tall with 3ft mohican
I bunked off school and bought some tattoo ink
Engraved "punk 4 life" on my arm with a safety pin
I was sleeping in a park and selling the Big Issue
But this ain't no sob story so don't reach for the tissues
These Spanish Punks they took me under their wing
Opened up a squat in Clapham Common, they let me move in

This place was fucking huge, I couldn't believe my luck
But it was no stranger to the odd ruck
I was sharing a room with a bloke called Geoff
He had rotten teeth and the World's worst breath
But we had such a time, graffing up all the walls
Days trips to Brighton when the occasion called
Drinking Red Wine and Coke, playing our music loud
On a shitty old tape player we sung it proud
We used to sing

If we hang the Landlord from the top of the stairs
We can live here forever without a care
So let's hang the Landlord from the top of stairs
We'll live like a millionaire
Like a millionaire

We looked out for each other, as a group we were tight
All coppers are bastards, but we were alright
Painting our leather jackets, spiking up our hair
We looked like aliens out of anywhere
If the tourists wanted a photo we would charge them a pound
When we had enough we'd buy a bottle and pass it around
???
And whatever we could find got thrown into the mix

If we hang the Landlord from the top of the stairs
We can live here forever without a care
So let's hang the Landlord from the top of stairs
We'll live like a millionaire
Like a millionaire

Now always blagging it into gigs for free
Sneaking in our own cans after a robbing spree
Getting chased out the offie and half way down the street
Smiling at the girls we thought looked sweet
And Bruv used to give me all his hand-me-downs
He had a great big heart but he'd done too much brown
Sarah used to look out for me, make sure I was alright
When Mel and other people once got in a fight
We used to sing

If we hang the Landlord from the top of the stairs
We can live here forever without a care
So let's hang the Landlord from the top of stairs
We'll live like a millionaire
Like a millionaire

A couple of years ago a tramp at Piccadilly he told me how I'm gonna die
My head spun around until I sat on the curb and cried
And I found my self sitting on Puff's begging patch
I ain't seen him around I pray he didn't lose the match
Now Al's in prison and he's the sensible one
Don't let the bastards grind you down mate our time it begun
Don't let the screws get in your head and fuck you up
Because when you get out we'll string that Landlord up

If we hang the Landlord from the top of the stairs
We can live here forever without a care
So let's hang the Landlord from the top of stairs
We'll live like a millionaire
Like a millionaire

With the red scrunchie for her birthday gift,
She scrapes her hair into a Croydon facelift,
Punch drunk love at sweet 16,
She thumbs a ride to Gretna Green,
Leaving something old for somewhere new,
To be with someone battered, black and blue,
She turns out her light with a song to sing,
Grabs her shoulder bag and her Argos ring,
And she says,

Without a penny, in my pocket,
I’m out of luck in this kind of town,
But I’ve got you right by my side,
So I won’t let them drag me down,

He turned from Jack the lad into Jack the dad,
His heart was pure but the town was bad,
He had a broken heart from a broken home,
She heard his breaking voice through a broken phone,
He said “For you girl I’d walk a Swedish mile,
For a Glasgow kiss and a Chelsea smile”,
So he drove til it was morning light,
And the birds will sing him to sleep tonight,
And he says,

Without a penny, in my pocket,
I’m out of luck in this kind of town,
But I’ve got you right by my side,
So I won’t let them drag me down

As the world burns down outside
And they battle on the front line
My darlin' hold on tight
My darlin' hold on...

They say it ain't safe to go out anymore
So the police station has bolted up the door
The floor's full of torn up betting stops
They put televisions in my favourite pubs
Our homes get bulldozed, no one watches
They want soap operas, not soap boxes
This town has left me high and dry
But i'll be here 'till the day I die.

They tell me i'm just pissed off
Yeah maybe i'm just pissed off
But i'd rather be pissed off
Than be pissed on

As the world burns down outside
And they battle on the front line
My darlin' hold on tight
My darlin' hold on tight

We beg for another show we can watch 'till we're sick
Just like a donkey chasing a carrot on a stick
Watching our lives filmed in a soft focus
With abrakadabra and hocus pocus
One billion channels and there's still nothing on
The television will not be revolutionised
The announcer says 'and now for something completely indifferent'

They tell me i'm just pissed off
Yeah maybe i'm just pissed off
But i'd rather be pissed off
Than be pissed on

As the world burns down outside
And they battle on the front line
My darlin' hold on tight
My darlin' hold on tight

'Cause I demand my rock n roll, with blood sweat and tears
I demand my reggae, to cause bleeding in my ears
I demand my punk rock, to start a revolution
I demand my hardcore to sound like an execution
I demand sound systems on the streets, playing the loudest tracks
I demand no rent, no bills, no council tax
I demand love, that isn't measured, by the relationships of the characters on Friends
or the words to some dire RnB song about what a good man
what a mighty, mighty good man is

So as the world burns down outside
And they battle on the front line
My darlin' hold on tight
My darlin' hold on tight

Well on a cold Tuesday morning, I was walking into town,
Had my headphones blaring, didn't notice what was around,
I crossed the road, a car swerved and nearly ran me down,
Looked in the driver's seat, I swear to God it was Doc Brown,
He said “Are you Michael J Fox?” I said “No I'm Jonny Fox”,
He said “Close enough, get inside,
I'm taking you with me to see another time,
A place you could only have dreamed in your mind,
An alternative reality situated just outside of Clapham,
So strap yourself in,
Cos where we're going you don't need roads,
To get to where punk never happened”

We landed in a concrete desert, rubble as far as the eye could see,
I says to Doc “Where we goin'?”
Doc says he's following me,
We found the only building in the city that was left standing,
It was my local venue,
I know cos I recognised the landing,
And there's a gig on tonight! This town ain't so bad,
I got everything I need, right here in this pad,
So I pulled out a bottle and took a heroic swig,
Made myself comfortable and got ready for the gig,

Well an hour after doors and there was still no-one there,
The soundman was on acid, the fucking long hair,
The bands never showed cos they didn't see the point,
When all the kids are at home still smoking a joint,
They won't go out and do nothing, not on your nelly,
They're just watching the telly and then feeding their belly,
Their parents listen to The Beatles, while they listen to Nirvana,
Cos Green Day and The Pistols, well they never heard either,

They got long sleeve T-shirts and they never shower,
They still believe in flower power,
The hippy dream's faded but they got nothing new,
So they wear flares and slippers and burn incense sticks too,
The kids would rather skate than go out and smash the state,
While their parents sit still and meditate,
Action's at a low when people just don't care,
They zoned out to their surroundings, the anger's not there,

And I'm stuck in this hippy, grunge reality,
Where the buildings are crumbling down from apathy,
They grab you at school when you've just turned 13,
And show you your brand new, life long routine,
You can sleep and work, and work and sleep,
So you can save up the money to buy a new jeep,
So you can sleep and work, and work and sleep,
Then sleep. Then work. Then work. Then sleep.

I pulled a fanzine out my back pocket, held it in my hands,
And watched the colours slowly fade away,
The words bled right off of the pages til it had nothing left to say,
I banged on the jukebox but it was useless,
It had no good records on,
Not even something weak like ‘The Best Punk Album In The World Ever Volume 1',
Outside the windows, I saw the excavators coming to tear the place down,
No-one stopped them, for there is no community left in this town,
There's no-one around to fight Margaret Thatcher,
The power of the flower just couldn't match her,

Too strong was the will of Parliament to cause damage,
That with no punk rock everything went unchallenged,
Land got knocked down to build more land,
That got knocked down again for a couple more grand,
With no punk the protests were full of throwbacks calling each other comrade,
Of course the young folks' attendance started to fade,
So it was easy for the police to move in, they were trusted,
And that's when the whole damn town got busted,

They moved CCTV cameras in everywhere,
But the people were too apathetic to care,
They made them carry ID cards to state where they're from,
As if by being born they had done something wrong,
They shipped all the poor folk to live out in the edges,
So the rich folk could move in and peer over their hedges,
“But before you leave, you'd better build our homes,
There, we've done you a favour, now you're on your own,
This ain't your home no more, go find somewhere new,
I know you ain't got the money, cos it's me who employs you,
I know everything about you, what you eat, how you dress,
Your hobbies, your turn-ons, your email address,
While I had you working in the dark, you didn't realise,
That I completely stopped your ability to organise,
I didn't let you have a reason to communicate,
I banned punk rock knowing you hippies would seal your own fate,
I controlled everything you wrote, everything you created,
I distracted you with advertisements so you forgot what you hated,
I fed your dark side, kept you consuming and competing,
And like a dog that doesn't know when to stop eating,
You took it all, oh and long was it my intention,
You could have beat me if punk rock was your invention”,
Instead the city will be sold to the highest bids,
If only Sham 69 had of united the kids,

If only the 4 Skins had told us ACAB,
If only The Ramones had let us know we were a happy family,
If only The Buzzcocks had shown us how to do it ourself,
If only Crass had shown us there are things more important than wealth,
If only The Vandals had shown us it was OK to smile,
If only The Dead Kennedys had helped us put our government on trial,
If only Rancid had played live, and brought with them that vibe,
If we had Sick Of It All and Madball we could put them all on the frontline,

If we had GG Allin we'd have learned it's OK to be hated,
If we'd have had The Refused then we could have innovated,
If we'd had Poison Idea then they couldn't push us over,
If we'd had Minor Threat then we could have done it sober,
If we'd have had Against Me we could have done it all unplugged,
If we'd had Operation Ivy we could have done it then fucked off,
If we had The Blitz, The Clash, Disorder, Propagandhi,
The Exploited, NOFX and anyone that's handy,

There's a lesson to be learned, one that I will take home,
When I return to my normal reality zone,
Punk rock has the power to change the world,
It lies in every single punk rock boy and girl,
So don't let anyone tell you you're not worth the earth,
These streets are your streets, this turf is your turf,
Don't let anyone tell you that you've got to give in,
Cos you can make a difference, you can change everything,
Just let your dreams be your pilot, your imagination your fuel,
Tear up the book and write your own damn rules,
Use all that heart, hope and soul that you've got,
And the love and the rage that you feel in your gut,
And realise that the other world that you're always looking for,
Lies right here in front of us, just outside this door,
And it's up to you to go out there and paint the canvas,
After all, you were put on the earth to do this,
So shine your light so bright that all can see,
Take pride in being whoever the fuck you want to be,
Throw your fist in the air in solidarity,
And shout “Viva la punk, just one life, anarchy”.