Written when I lived in Bethnal Green, Tower Hamlets, East London
Springtime in Whitechapel, © Grimes/ Marland 1979 recorded 1980
Scarred face in the moonlight – wind blows with a hard bite
Darkness falls just another night.
Out I crawl am I feeling right?
Don’t know why I hide away –
I can’t seem, can’t seem to face the day
I feel exposed in every way
Pushing through a hard crowd
Daylight streets and the traffic’s loud.
Faces low ah, and faces proud
Nerves are shot makes me wanna howl.
Can’t face the days that a pity – dust in my eyes feels too gritty.
Scratch my eyes, don’t feel very pretty.
Noontime and the sun’s hot, people search for a green spot.
One hour on the office clock don’t you know that’s all you got?
Seems to be the way, you see
Bug-eyed monsters won’t let me be – on my shoulder sits a great big G
There’s a monster in the city
I’ve seen it, have you?
and it grabbed me never, never ever let me go –
– going around and round
