Prince's Street / Follow Your Nose

I spent Monday on Strawberry Hill Till I fell and I landed on your windowsill I hung there by a golden fine web I had woven from a hair of your head I spent Tuesday just walking through town Till I saw a gold angel come tumbling down And waltzing with seagulls up in an elm tree Where the wind runs her fingers above the dark Lee Oh will you meet me on Saturday night? We'll dance in the shadows between the street lights Between these two rivers I know where we'll meet On Prince's Street A sleepy Saturday mornin' on Princes Street And just around the corner? Christmas I'm walkin' off a bit of self-inflicted pain You know how it is? Three days on the ran-tan Three whole days - drinkin' me seasonal bonus You know how it is - when the belly's had a skinful The mind is willing - but the body isn't able Well, that's how it is Just out for a scove - meself on me own No particular place to go Just followin' me nose Just follow yer nose That's what me grandda used to do A great man for followin' his nose was me grandda On me mother's soul - he could find his way to work blindfolded All the way from his front-door step up on Dublin Hill Down into the belly of the city - just Just followin' his nose The first thing that would hit my grandda and he leaving the house Would be the thick country smell of cattle From the dealers' fields beyond the grotto in Blackpool Led on like a Like a bull by the ring, he'd close his eyes and follow his nose Past the stale stench of last night's stout and cigarette smoke From the string of pubs along Dublin Street Past the Glen Hall - the full length of Thomas Davis Street And with the first hint of crusty bread Coming from the ovens of Healy's bakery Over on Great William O'Brien Street He'd know he was at Blackpool Church Then that sweet smell of molten sugar The shawlies making toffee apples up on Gerald Griffin Street Would carry him past the oak casks of the distillery And onto the Watercourse Road Ahhh, pleasure A pleasure - cut short by the piercing, deathly, toxic Foul cloud coming from the slaughterhouse off Denny's Lane But then, just for a whiff of a second the subtle scent of sherbet Drifting down from Linehan's Sweet Factory Would carry him past the putrid pelts of the tannery And on to the first taste of human waste at Poulraddy Turnin' right onto Leitrim Street there'd be no mistaking the warmth Of the moist malt of brewing stout - billowing from Murphy's stack He knew then he was on the right track So he'd put the hands into the pockets - and whistle Whistle all the way from Poulraddy Harbour To the Home Farm Stores Eyes wide shut And though still out of sight - at the corner of Pine Street The River Lee and Carroll's Quay would come into scent High at low tide Low at high tide Wouldn't turn left nor right But keep on straight to Three Points Corner Where Devonshire Street, Leitrim Street and Coburg Street melt into one He'd stay right on track Being passed from scent to scent like the baton in a relay race Spurred on by the aromatic blending of Moore's vegetables, Griffin's shoemakers, Noreen's apple tarts Must be Friday cause there's kippers in Creedons O'Connell's butchered beef and O'Sullivan's cured bacon At Falvey's Corner, he'd stop. Stop dead Struck by a tidal wave of fishy smells from the Baltimore Stores Enough to knock a horse And for the first time on his scove, my grandda'd open his eyes Look back at the eastern face of Shandon Where half-past seven means twenty-five to eight Then turnin' right onto Bridge Street The fine wines and exotic spices of Madden's Would carry him 'cross Patrick's Bridge Through the gateway of the city All the way to work Just Just by following his nose I spent Wednesday doing nothing at all Till late in the evening the wind came to call And stood at my window and danced a handstand The sun on her shoulder and birds in her hands The next morning I woke from a dream Of where the fish lie on their beds of deep green I watched Thursday morning put on its new coat Of cloud at the elbow, blue sky at the throat And oh will you meet me on Saturday night We'll dance in the shadows between the street lights Between these two rivers I know where we'll meet On Prince's Street I spent Friday just counting the time Till up in a tower I heard some bells chime I saw a great goldfish take wing like a swan And told me that Saturday wouldn't be long And oh will you meet me on Saturday night We'll dance in the shadows between the street lights Between these two rivers I know where we'll meet On Prince's Street And oh will you meet me on Saturday night We'll dance with your ankles all bathed in moonlight Between these two rivers I know where we'll meet On Prince's Street