Do you remember
When we played silly buggers
Around 1979
We jumped over ditches
Walked for miles
In this youth of mine
When we were in single numbers
We never stayed in our homes
We had disused railways to map
And haunted houses to roam
So tear it up
And break it down
Today’s youth
All housebound
When we were young
We worked for pocket money
The spuds had to be peeled
Newspapers bought on Sunday morning
Bins emptied every day
To earn a decent meal
There was rope swings
Over a stagnant pond
Haystack dens
In the autumn
So tear it up
And wear it down
Today’s youth
Are not around
Back then our digital friend
Was pacman or space invaders
We had heavy metal bikes
That we rode on country roads
To hell with our lights
No market for kiddie helmets
No maps online
We followed the sun home
We may have got lost
But we always got home
We went so far without any money
Not even twenty pence for the telephone
Tired as hell
Mud up to your ears
Coal soot faces
All with three rusty gears
So tear it up
And get around
Grifter or BMX
The talk of the town
We wasn’t pretty
And didn’t need to be
As we dived over barbed wire fences
And climbed up bent trees
Dirty roads and mucky toads
Trampling on fresh cowpats
Grass stains and piss stains
Dirty trainers on the welcome mat
So tear it up
And remember when
Life was beautiful
In your home made den
The rage was all star wars
For the strong even bloody jaws
Tiswas or swap shop
Phoning in for Sally James
Tear it up but don’t regret
Even shitting yourself
Have no regrets
Summer fun
Before it rained all day
Autumn golden
Frolicking in the hay.