She’s Leaving Home
Ode To A City
I can find myself lost
In a two up two down,
But in this city,
In my own city
I can know where I am
Even now, after all this time,
And so many changes.
I always find my way home.
I walked these back streets
Barefoot at 3am,
Queasy and melancholy,
Weaving my way from
One cab rank to another.
And never, whether through wisdom,
Or the daftness
of the drunk and foolish,
Ever felt like I wasn’t safe.
I could always find someone
To sit down next to,
Even if that someone
Sometimes was just me,
Singing a song from the darkest hour,
Safe in the arms of my city,
My Manchester.
Holding hands with my girlfriend,
Kissing my wife on the day
We were married at the town hall.
Running through the rain,
Dashing over these same
Shiny cobblestones
Like so many have before us.
I don’t want to go.
I don’t want to leave
Your comforting embrace.
Hold me close one last time.
Tell me to stay,
Tell me that you need me,
That I’m special,
That you love me.
Tell me that there’ll
Always be a place for me
Here, where I know
my home will always be.
Here where I will
always come back to.
You’re ok, our kid. It’s alright.
Oh my sweet mother Manchester.
Thanks for loving me so well.
Thanks for always accepting me
Even on my bad days
My sad days and rad days,
My punk days and drunk days
My young days and now, my old days.
I will always love you too,
My sweet Manchester home.
We all come back, one day,
I know that, in my heart.
I’ve seen it, so many times,
With so many people, after all.
You’ll see, our kid.
You’ll see.
