One Song At A Time

My whistle under the archways Still echoes down the street All the way back to Deptford days Nights down by The Creek Notes as big as river boats Still echoing through the clubs With the horns of the trains Down the old back lanes And the lights of the corner pubs In a taproom lined with mirrors There’s a man there at the bar Reminds you of somebody He says I know who you are He’s right, I know I could be him But anyway who is who? You could be looking at What he’s looking at And he’s looking at you And I’ll be out of this place And down the road wherever There but for the grace, etcetera I’ll see you later but it’s 1979 And I’m picking my way out of here One song at a time The slaving ports of plunder Used to stink to heaven on high Companions of honour Always were in short supply The Bristol ships and Liverpool’s On every tide they came The times they may have changed, my friend Some people stay the same And I’ll be out of this place And down the road wherever There but for the grace, etcetera I’ll see you later but it’s 1879 And I’m picking my way out of here One song at a time A grinning mogul greets the crowd At Execution Dock All come to see three mutineers Turned off at twelve o'clock The shyster takes a ringside seat As they’re bringing them from the jail And twenty thousand tickets Sold online on premium sale So if you need to reach me You can leave word at The Pig I have no wish to stay around To watch that Newgate jig Or any more poor old fakers Trying to dance in my old shoes I’ll be gone over the ocean With the transatlantic blues And I’ll be out of this place And down the road wherever There but for the grace, etcetera I’ll see you later somewhere down the line I’ll be picking my way out of here One song at a time