Our City

Walk these streets, love their soul, I hear their song
As I long for this throng to stand strong
Now we’re facing adversity
And I’m saying it hurts t’ see

Our city in trouble
As too many struggle
To keep things together
While the place falls apart

But for now there’s no news,
Resume my usual groove
My lease is expiring
No peace from denying
So I head off to get a roof over my head
Without getting in over my head

They try to lure me with worthless refurbishment
Repackaged flats
Tacky and obviously
Lacking all quality
Already cracking it’s policy
To rack ‘em up shoddily
Then act up like honestly
This is the fashion
Should put my cash on
The line, see my stash gone
For this trash
What I’ve heard.
It’s absurd

Then from my job they lob me some hassle, not rational
Some daft minion’s opinion
Some jerk gone berserk, I’ve seen worse
Gotta lay this one low, no delaying my flow
Gotta let me let go, cos there’s nothing I owe

Now I see on my screen, guy wants me to believe
It’s for real that his creed’s what we need to succeed
He spouts endless senseless sentences
With no sign of resemblance
To any kind of relevance
And from this line of evidence
There’s the basis for me to safely say
Lately he clearly ain’t been round this way

So look back at the blur of a bad week
Mind’s packed keeps churning at attack speed
Re-lax and immerse in the backbeat
Stack raps words turned up to max heat
Playback, reverb, let the track breathe
Burned out, intact but I’m whacked feel

Now there’s time and my own permission
To pause and see what I’ve been missing
Day to day

I notice a guy who’s so stoned
No roof for his own but he’s not alone
With him are folk who’ve been working this for years
By looking at what works not politicians’ pet ideas

Then some kid walking by
Looks across at those guys
Seems to wonder where her future lies

What I deduce is the truth is
No use for excuses
I need to produce and introduce
Some changes today

And even if I could marshal my words like Marshall
Words that march all alone ain’t enough
We need action now before the moment goes
No time to be acting like we’re comatose

I don’t deny that here there are guys
In their jackets
And Karl Lagerfeld ties
Who should jack it
Join in by our side
But they’d rather be kings of misery
Than be a small part of delivery
Of neighbourhoods for us as they should be
So they are no good part of what change could be

Hold it together together
Make some changes of our own
Make this place a better home
Make a pathway bright and right
Cos nothing makes a heart feel light
Like a child’s chance
To make a decent life.

Cos nothing makes a heart feel light
Like a child’s chance
To make a decent life.

Cos it’s our city
The place that’s home for all of us
Our city
Yeah our city