Ugly Part of Town

it’s an ugly part of town
built to make you feel
there is no up and out
only down
in this ugly part of town

it goes on row after row
slate grey skies,
slate grey rooves slate grey roads
on they go
row after row

by a bingo hall and a greyhound track
there’s a train station
one platform takes you away
one brings you back
to the bingo hall and the grey hound track

the sun only comes out in Ahmed’s store
he’s got plantain bananas
yam and okra
ginger root and much more
the sun only come out in Ahmed’s store

in this ugly part of town
built to make you feel
there is no up and out
only down
in this ugly part of town

but it’s beautiful to me
it will always be
beautiful to me
beautiful to me
it will always be
beautiful to me

but the rain it doesn’t help
waiting at a bus stop
back to the wind
keeping to myself
the rain it doesn’t help

there’s always lines at the post office
collecting pensions
cashing giros, buying stamps
it’s where most of us
meet, in lines at the post office
in this ugly part of town
built to make you feel
there is no
up and out
only down
in this ugly part of town

but it’s beautiful to me
it will always be
beautiful to me
beautiful to me
it will always be
beautiful to me

this ugly part of town