a town called malice

The Jam

A Town Called Malice

Better stop dreaming of the quiet life
'Cos it's the one we'll never know
And quit running for that runaway bus
'Cos those rosey days are few
And stop apologising for the things you've never done,
'Cos time is short and life is cruel
Well it's up to us to change
This town called malice uh uh yeah

Rows and rows of disused milk floats
stand dying in the dairy yard
And a hundred lonely housewives clutch empty milk
bottles to their hearts
Hanging out their old love letters on the line to dry
It's enough to make you stop believing when tears come
fast and furious
In a town called malice uh uh yeah

Struggle after struggle
Year after year
The atmosphere's a fine blend of ice
I'm almost stone cold dead
In a town called malice uh uh yeah

A whole street's belief in Sunday's roast beef
gets dashed against the Co-op
To either cut down on beer or the kids new gear
It's a big decision in a town called malice uh uh yeah

The ghost of a steam train
Echoes down my track
It's at the moment bound for nowhere
Just going round and round
Playground kids and creaking swings
Lost laughter in the breeze
I could go on for hours and I probably will
But I'd sooner put some joy back
In this town called malice yeah yeah