It's 6.00am and even Big Ben
Is trying to get his head down for a kip
But no sooner is it down
And then it's on with dressing gown
For this city rarely loses grip

But I have a friend who's never up by 10.00
He's fast asleep with mouth open wide
He's lost a lot of jobs, but he's won a lot of friends
And he says to me, he cannot tell the time

It's 7.00am and we're coughing up the phlegm
Spitting out the taste of night before
And we'll vomit and we'll never choke
Just to climb their tatty rope
Well, this city has it's charm, and it's claw

And he'll blame his clock
Or he'll say he's lost his socks
And they'll tell you that he's been bitten by a snake
His excuses are an art
From the bottom of his heart
And he thinks of them whenever he awakes

It's 8.00am we're on the road again
Racing for a placing at the top
And it says green for go
For the people in the know
But for others all it says is red for stop

It's cold and it's damp
And they've dug him a grave
And the 10.15 merchants still in bed
And scrawled upon the headboard
For the whole wide world to see is
"Died In The Arms Of Big Ted"


Lyrics submitted by mysteriousdragon

From Under The Covers Lyrics as written by Paul Heaton Dave Rotheray

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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From Under The Covers song meanings
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3 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment

    I love this song! It's about the banality of everyday life, I think.

    Mike_Spikeon June 20, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I agree with Mike Spike - I think it is indeed about the banality of life, or just the rut of working in a big city perhaps? Working and never stopping to "climb that tatty rope". One of the many fantastic Beautiful South songs, Paul Heaton's lyrics as usual are just pure genius.

    sarahspaceyon December 04, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    It's about somebody who stays in bed every morning, not so much because of laziness, but in order to cheat the capitalist system. Listen to an even better song Heaton wrote on this theme: 'We're Not Deep' by the Housemartins.

    Bibboon December 15, 2006   Link

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