All a long day

 

The sun was almost rising across the bay

Time to greet another brand-new day

The light was brighter than my head

The world was turning round

And in my hands only salty sand

 

We pulled ourselves together, found some food to eat

Swilled it down with bottles of warm beer

Cleaned ourselves as best we could

And washed our swollen feet

It didn’t take long to pack up all our gear

 

We set off in our sluggish way

Past cafés full of rich

And trudged along the road

Which lead to Nice

The sun was standing higher

And when we found our pitch

No one was there except for the police

 

And as the sun sank lower

Our spirits were the same

The music sounded thin, it wasn’t strange

Some beggars and some singers

Were jailed and who’s to blame?

It’s the same the whole world over

Nothing’s changed

 

Summers on the street

As a musician watching passers-by

And thinking that you’re king

And gaining credit from the passers-by

Disdaining all the beggars

Who have waited till the sun was high

From morning dew to evening queue

When people have long ceased to buy

It’s all a long day

 

The poor are always with you

Said a wise man long ago

A thousand years, ten thousand faces

Surely come and go

Some are lost and some are ill

And some do not know why

And there but for the grace of god

Go I