It was midnight on the murder mile

Wilson Pickett's finest hour

I was walking towards the flashing smile

Of the Crystal Palace Tower

Past the big old church where the hands of God

Were stuck on lucky 7

And the bells inside were limbering up

For a sawn-off-shotgun wedding

Frome gas board to the fire brigade

There's a dozen GPO's

An all night chicken takeaway

Which was finger lickin' closed

As I passed the wonder of good old Woolworth's

My travelcard expired

It was midnight on the murder mile

O.K. let's riot!



In the avenues and alleyways

I took a short-cut to the throat

I was stitched up by the boys brigade

And I was beaten to a pulp

I was marinaded, regurgitated

And served up as a cold meat

And as they shoved me in the blender

I remembered Daddy told me



CHORUS

If the concrete and the clay beneath your feet

Don't get you son

The avenues and alleyways are gonna do it

Just for fun

They'll suck you in and they'll spit you out

And leave your family lonely

The telephones on sticks will tell you

999 calls only



But it's too late to call the fire brigade

An ambulance or the cops

I need the Father, Son and Holy Coast Guard

Operator!

Long distance, information get me Jesus on the line

I need communion, confirmation and absolution for my crimes

I need a character witness jesus I think I'm about to die

I saw my whole life flash before me when the night bus passed me by



It was 3 O'clock on the murder mile

When I came to my senses

And my only death wish was that I had

A sockful of fifty pences

A public execution that the whole neighbourhood could watch

Or just a phone box, a phone box, my kingdom for a phone box



CHORUS

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