The Balcony

As he taxes a draw on the 15th floor He can't help cursing his luck Life could have dealt him such a different hand Maybe 2 across and 23 up But there ain't door on the 38th floor No shortcut out of this dump The nearer high rise comes closer to the skies The temptation to actually jump And it's sadder the leaving than left Sadder the going than gone Saddest of all is the person bereft Of the chance to jump off or walk on Falling from ladder, landing on dagger A thousand and one ways to die Better the brave and the early to grave And damn those too frightened to try As he awaits the last score on the 25th floor He looks down at the madness below It's always some Grimsby or Scunthorpe Some place he ain't been or won't go And as result comes in and his head goes down Yet another week he's gonna be stuck Where the betting slips rain like confetti Let down, thrown out or screwed up And it's sadder the leaving than left Sadder the going than gone Saddest of all is the person bereft Of the chance to jump off or walk on Falling from ladder, landing on dagger A thousand and one ways to die Better the brave and the early to grave And damn those too frightned to try So we wish you good spaces in faraway places Good luck in the folk that you meet Cause if you don't travel, the dust and the gravel Will swallow you up from your feet This song that we give, please carry it with To remind you we long your return Travel thee far and travel thee well And bring back every lesson you learn Travel thee far and travel thee well And bring back every lesson you learn