Overture

This is the story of the Liberty Of Norton Folgate 

 Old Jack Norris, the musical shrimp and the cadging ramble..... 

 A little bit of this, would you like a bit of that 

 But in weather like this, you should wear a coat, a nice warm hat 
 A needle and thread the hand stitches of time 
 Battling Levinsky versus Jackie Burk 
 Bobbing and weaving, an invisible line 

 So step for step and both light on our feet 
 We'll travel many along dim silent street 

 Would you like a bit of this, or a little bit of that? (Misses) 
 A little bit of what you like does you no harm, you know that 
 The perpetual steady echo of the passing beat 
 A continual dark river of people 
 In it's transience and in it's permanence 
 But, when the streetlamp fills the gutter with gold 
 So many priceless items bought and sold 

 So step for step and both light on our feet 
 We'll travel many along dim silent street (together) 

 Once round Arnold Circus, and up through Petticoat Lane 
 Past the well of shadows, and once back round again 
 Arm in arm, with an abstracted air 
 To where the people stare 
 Out of the upstairs windows 
 Because we are living like kings 
 And these days will last forever 

 Cos sailors from Africa, China and the archipelago of Malay 
 Jump ship ragged and penniless into Shadwells Tiger Bay 
 The Welsh and Irish wagtails, mothers of midnight 
 The music hall carousel enspilling out into bonfire light 
 Sending half crazed shadows, giants dancing up the brick wall 
 Of Mr Trumans beer factory, waving, bottles ten feet tall 

 Whether one calls it Spitalfields, Whitechapel, Tower Hamlets 
 Or Banglatown. We're all dancing in the moonlight, we're all 
 On borrowed ground. 

 Oh, I'm just walking down to, I'm just floating down through 
 Won't you come with me, to the Liberty of Norton Folgate 
 But wait! 
 What's that? 
 Dan Leno 
 And the Limehouse golem 

 Purposefully walking nowhere, oh I'm happy just floating about 
 (Have a banana) 
 On a Sunday afternoon, the stallholders all call and shout 
 To no-one in particular 
 Avoiding people you know, you're just basking in you're own company 
 The technicolour world's going by, but you're the lead in your own movie 

 Cos in the Liberty of Norton Folgate 
 Walking wild and free, in your second hand coat, 
 Happy just to float 
  
 In this little taste of liberty 
 A part of everything you see 

 They're coming left and right 
 Trying to flog you stuff you don't need or want 
 And a smiling chap takes your hand 
 And drags you in his Uncles restaurant 
 (ee-yar, ee-yar, ee-yar) 

 There's a Chinese man trying hard to flog you moody DVDs 
 You know? You've seen the film, it's black and white, it's got no sound 
 And a man's head pops up and down 
 Right across your widescreen TV 
 (Only a fiver) 
 ('Ow much?) 
 (Alright, two for eight quid) 
 (Ee-yar, ee-yar, look, I'm givin' it away) 
 (Givin' it away!) 

 Cos in the Liberty of Norton Folgate 
 Walking wild and free, in your second hand coat, 
 Happy just to float 
 In this little piece of liberty 
 You're a part of everything you see 

 There's the sturdy old fellows, pickpockets, dandy's, extortioners 
 And night wanderers, the feeble, the ghastly, upon whom death 
 Had placed a very sure hand, 
 Some in shreds and patches, 
 Reeling inarticulate full of noisy and inordinate vivacity 
 That jars discordantly upon the ear 
 And gives an aching sensation to both pair of eyeballs 
 (Noisy and inordinate vivacity) 

 Ohhhh ahhhhhh ahhhhh etc etc 

 In the beginning was a fear of the immigrant 
 In the beginning was a fear of the immigrant 
 He's made his way down to the dark riverside 

 In the beginning was a fear of the immigrant 
 In the beginning was a fear of the immigrant 
 He's made his home there down by the dark riverside 

 Ohhhh ahhhhhh ahhhhh etc etc 

 He made his home there down by the riverside 
 They made their homes there down by the riverside 
 The city sprang up from the dark river Thames 

 They made their home there down by the riverside 
 They made their homes there down by the riverside 
 The city sprang up from the dark mud of the Thames 
 I'll say it again 

 (Ha ha ha, that's right) 

 'Cos in the Liberty of Norton Folgate 
 Walking wild and free 
 And in your second hand coat 
 Happy just to float 
 In this little taste of liberty 
 Cos you're a part of everything you see 
 Yes, you're a part of everything you see 

 With a little bit of this 
 And a little bit of that 
 A little bit of what you like does you no harm 
 And you know that 

 Ohhhh ahhhhhh ahhhhh etc etc (repeat to end)