![]() TO APPRECIATE THIS LITTLE SONG you have to picture youself in a provincial folk club where some scruffy folknik on the small stage with a battered guitar half sings and half recites it, breaking off now and then for a musical interlude between episodes in the story. ![]()
Well I went on down to London Town
The streets are paved with silver and gold
So I stood outside Victoria Station
For that was the place I was told to go
Well I stood and stood and I waited for days
And no-one said what I was doing wrong
And I saw no silver and I saw no gold ********
So seeing that I was completely down ![]()
And I said 'My friend can you tell me where
He said 'It's strange but sadly true
'With nought but this coat I left my home
' . . . and silver in plenty were here to be found ********
So together we decided to take the road
To be picked from the hedges and fields and barns
As we walked down a lane we met a vain man
When he saw my friend he loved his bright gown ![]()
But my friend said 'Sir, I don't need your gold
'Of where such gowns as mine come free
So we sent him off to Victoria Station
And off he went and we strolled on ********
We came in a while to a pretty little town
Then just as it did an honest soul came by
He stopped us and asked for our secret of success ![]()
My friend looked at me and we said to him
'In exchange for your poor little tumble-down house
So we sent him off to London Town
The streets are paved with silver and gold
And settling down by a nice log fire *********
Well the next few days we strolled around town
Till the squire he stopped us on our way
He asked why two such gentlemen as we
So we moved in with him and under pressure we told ![]()
We told how it was, that we started out poor
How we'd come there to find a suitably small home
'For money' we said 'brings an unquiet mind
For of glamour and riches and parties and balls
Well he begged us then to tell him all
How to get to court and meet the King
We told him it was secret and we really shouldn't tell
In exchange for it we'd tell him our secret of success ![]()
So we sent him off to London Town
And we settled down by a roaring fire *********
We were happy there, didn't have a care
And raise their hats and make a bow
But as we strolled through the woods and through
And then one day as we were on our rounds
So we invited him into our manor for tea
How we'd left the city and travelled around
The most perfect manor that could ever be found
Then the King he frowned and the King he thought
Well we hummed and ha'd and looked most distressed
Then he looked most unhappy and we did too ![]() ********
Till at last after lighting the lamps and the fire
'For no-one but you, the best of kings
'But for you we'll do it and to do it we'll be proud
'We'll give up our home to refresh your royal head
Then the King he smiled and the King he cheered
'I was tired of life and weary to death
So we all drank a toast by the rising moon
We took ourselves back to London Town ********
The King was so grateful at the kindness of our deed
So we settled down by the roaring palace fire
And the next thing we did after settling in
'To Victoria Station take yourself and you'll see
Before the hour had passed there came a man without a coat
The squire, goggle-eyed with wonder and surprise
And to one we gave a wardrobe of the finest gowns
The squire he moved in with us and he heard a princess sing ********
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