end of the pier

Joe Jackson

Dad came home half dead, another hard day down the mine
Brother John was off in Singapore
Mother s head would hurt from working on the factory line
Cousin Albert died back in the war
Now someone would say, Thank God for Saturday
And Sunday, when we d all be singing hymns
And praying that the sun would shine come next bank holiday
Then we d have the whole world on a string

We mobbed the coach, we packed the train
And spilled out on the coast again
And Marie Lloyd was on that year
At the end of the pier
And all our friends were singing too
Old Sailor Dan and Saucy Sue
With bawdy jokes and lukewarm beer
At the end of the pier

Dad sits there half dead, another hard day on the wine
Brother Dylan stands guard at the door
Mother s head is hurting from some news she read online
Cousin Liam died from being bored
Now the doctors say, It s safe, go out and play
Pretend the world is how it s always been
Doctors never tell you what s the point, why get away
When you ve got the whole world on a screen?

Put on your mask, take your ID
For flashing lights, CCTV
A safe and fun-free atmosphere
At the end of the pier
Your neon friends are there for you
There s Spider-Man and Scooby Doo
Under the plastic chandeliers
At the end of the pier

La-la-la, la-la-la
La-la-la, la-la-la-la
La-la-la, la-la-la-la
La-la-la, la-la-la
La-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
La-la-la, la-la-la

Then came the smoke, then came the flames
And no more jokes, no video games
Who s left to cry? Who s left to cheer
For the end of the pier?