Ralph McTell schreef het lied Street of London voor zijn debuutalbum Spiral Staircase. Hij liet zich inspireren door de tijd indrukken die hij opdeed tijdens het werkzaam zijn als straatmuzikant in Parijs en Londen. Hij schrijft over de onderkant van de samenleving. Veel artiesten hebben het nummer op hun repertoire genomen.
Have you seen the old man
In the closed-down market
Kicking up the paper,
with his worn shoes?
In his eyes you see no pride
Hand held looseley at his side
Yesterday's paper telling yesterday's news.
So how can you tell me you're lonele
And say for that the sun don't shine?
Let me take you bij the hand and lead you through
the streets of London
I'll show you something to make you change your mind.
Have you seen the old girl
who walks the streets of London
Dirt in her hair and her clothes in rags?
She's no time for talking,
She just keeps right on walking
Carrying her home in two carrier bags.
Chorus
In the all night cafe
At a quarter pas eleven
Same old man is sitting there on his own
Looking at the world
Over the rim of his te-cup
Each te-last on hour
Then he wanders home alone.
Chorus
And have you seen the old man
Outside the seaman's mission
Memory fading with
The medal robbons that we wears.
In our winter city,
The rain cries a little pity
For one more forgotten hero
And a world that doesn't care.
Chorus.
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