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Cardboard Box City Lyrics
Have you seen them in every station
Begging in their separate ways
Some of them are no more than children
Some of them are runaways
I don't care for your opinion
I've seen you turn your face the other way
And you said to me "Son, what's your problem?
Can't we talk about this over lunch some day?"
And I bet you've never
Been south of the river
Down the Old Kent Road or down
Southwark way
I bet you've never never seen them
Lying in the litter
In the cardboard boxes
Where you make them stay
In the docklands of East London
Where those great tall ships once sailed
Of a price of couple of hundred thousands
I have seen your condominiums for sale
In the north by the archway tavern
You can see them lying there every day
And they're drunk to hell, they'll scream their minds to the heaven
"My God why did it have to be this way?"
And I bet you've never
Been south of the river
Down the Old Kent Road or down
Southwark way
I bet you've never never seen them
Lying in the litter
In the cardboard boxes
Where you make them stay
I worked my time and I paid my taxes
I've lined your pockets with my pay
You said you'd take my money
You said you'd help them
But in your pockets it just seems to stay
And I've seen your fancy house in Richmond
And where you moor your boat on Kingston Quay
Every week you take your wife and children sailing
Try taking them down to south London some day
And I bet you've never
Been south of the river
Down the Old Kent Road or down
Southwark way
I bet you've never never seen them
Lying in the litter
In the cardboard boxes
Where you make them stay
In the cardboard boxes
where they have to stay
Begging in their separate ways
Some of them are no more than children
Some of them are runaways
I don't care for your opinion
I've seen you turn your face the other way
And you said to me "Son, what's your problem?
Can't we talk about this over lunch some day?"
Been south of the river
Down the Old Kent Road or down
Southwark way
I bet you've never never seen them
Lying in the litter
In the cardboard boxes
Where you make them stay
Where those great tall ships once sailed
Of a price of couple of hundred thousands
I have seen your condominiums for sale
In the north by the archway tavern
You can see them lying there every day
And they're drunk to hell, they'll scream their minds to the heaven
"My God why did it have to be this way?"
Been south of the river
Down the Old Kent Road or down
Southwark way
I bet you've never never seen them
Lying in the litter
In the cardboard boxes
Where you make them stay
I've lined your pockets with my pay
You said you'd take my money
You said you'd help them
But in your pockets it just seems to stay
And I've seen your fancy house in Richmond
And where you moor your boat on Kingston Quay
Every week you take your wife and children sailing
Try taking them down to south London some day
Been south of the river
Down the Old Kent Road or down
Southwark way
I bet you've never never seen them
Lying in the litter
In the cardboard boxes
Where you make them stay
In the cardboard boxes
where they have to stay
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This is an awesome song. So simple, and yet so poignant. It's all about watching poor, homeless, hungry people begging in London, but they're all ignored by the rich and powerful - the kind of people that have the money to do something about it and help them, but who end up spending it all on big houses and yachts. I love the line about working time, paying taxes and lining the rich's bank accounts with your pay in the hope that something will get done, yet it seems to just stay in their pockets. Nice one Simon.