Try mSpy Phone Tracker for Your Kid's Safety
| Streets of London - Live 1992 (Ralph McTell) |
 |
Click on a word and I’ll read it
Or select some text and then click on play.
"Streets of London" is a song written by Ralph McTell. It was first recorded for his 1969 album Spiral Staircase but was not released in the United Kingdom as a single until 1974.
The song has been covered by over 200 artists. (Wikipedia)
This video was recorded in Germany, during a tour that Ralph Mc Tell shared with Donovan.
Links to other versions:
Thank you very much.
This is a song which brought me to Germany in 1975 and if you´d like to sing I would like to hear you...
It´s called "The streets of London"
Have you seen the old man in the closed down market
Picking up the papers with his worn out shoes
In his eyes you see no pride and hanging loosely at his side
Yesterdays paper, telling yesterdays news.
So how can you tell me you're lonely
And say for you that the sun don't shine
Let me take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of London
I'll show you something to make you change your mind.
Have you seen the old girl who walks the streets of London
Dirt in her hair and her clothes in rags
She's no time for talking, she just keeps right on walking
Carrying her home, in two carrier bags
So how can you tell me you're lonely
And say for you that the sun don't shine
Let me take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of London
I'll show you something to make you change your mind.
And in the all night cafe at a quarter past eleven
Same old man sitting there on his own.
Looking at the world over the rim of his teacup
And each tea lasts an hour and he wanders home alone
So how can you tell me that you're lonely
And say for you that the sun don't shine
Let me take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of London
I'll show you something to make you change your mind
Have you seen the old man outside the seaman's mission
Memory fading with the medal ribbons that he wears
And in the winter city, the rain cries a little pity
For one more forgotten hero, and a World that doesn't care
So how can you tell me that you're lonely
And say for you that the sun don't shine
Let me take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of London
I'll show you something to make you change your mind
WORN OUT: something that is worn out is so old, damaged, or thin from use that it cannot be used any more.
DIRT: if there is dirt on something, there is dust, mud, or a stain on it.
RAG:A rag is a piece of old cloth which you can use to clean or wipe things. And too, people refer to a newspaper as a rag when they have a poor opinion of it.
CARRYING: continuous for the verb "to carry",if you carry something, you take it with you, holding it so that it does not touch the ground. .
OWN: you use own to indicate that something belongs to a particular person or thing.
RIM: the rim of a container such as a cup or glass is the edge that goes all the way round the top.
TO LAST: to go on or continue in time.
TO WANDER: if you wander in a place, you walk around there in a casual way, often without intending to go in any particular direction.
SEAMAN: a person who assists in the handling and navigating of a vessel, especially one below the rank of officer.
TO FADE: when a coloured object fades or when the light fades it, it gradually becomes paler.
RIBBON: a band of fine material, used for ornament, tying, etc.
PITY: If you feel pity for someone, you feel very sorry for them.
CARE: If you care about something, you feel that it is important and are concerned about it.
The song was inspired by McTell's experiences busking and hitchhiking throughout Europe, especially in Paris and the individual stories are taken from Parisians – McTell was originally going to call the song Streets of Paris; eventually London was chosen because he realised he was singing about London.
The song contrasts the common problems of everyday people with those of the homeless, lonely, elderly, ignored and forgotten members of society.
In an interview on Radio 5 with Danny Baker on 16 July 2016, McTell explained that the market he referred to in the song was Surrey Street Market in Croydon. McTell had often observed an old man there, picking through the papers, looking for a grapefruit or a carrot. (Wikipedia)
Open → Music
