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What Do They Think We Are?

from All That's Changed vol 1 by The Living Archive Band

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about

From the play 'Bigger, Brighter, Better'. Cockneys express their indignation at their reception in sleepy, rural Bletchley.

lyrics

What Do They Think We Are?
words & music: Kevin Adams

We had to leave our native city, which is really such a shame
We are up the creek, what’s more we’re all at sea
Had to move out to the country, which is nothing like the same
We’re confused by all these fields and farms and trees
And the locals’ exhibition of unnatural suspicion
Doesn’t cheer us up, what’s more it gets us down
I check the mirror daily for me horns and tail so scaly
And I wish that I was back in London Town.

Can you blame us for moving out of London?
Can you blame us for leaving it for dead?
When you've been fire-bombed and shot at you begin to feel quite got at
And you're wondering is it something that I said?
We are townies, there is no point in denying
We are townies and we're really proud of that
We would go back there at the double if it weren't a pile of rubble
If old Hitler 'adn't tried to knock it flat

What do they think we are? What do they think we are?
The pearly bloomin’ monarchy or dockers on an 'oliday
A costermonger from the Mile End Road
What do they think we are? What do they think we are?
Are we just characters from Dickens all out looking for rich pickings
What do they think we are?

We can't help it if we were born in London
We can't help it if we're not true country stock
We've come from tenements in Stepney, a one room flat in Hackney,
Or a prefab round the back of Millwall Dock
We can't help it if our kids aint country bumpkins
If their cockney vowels drive teacher up the wall
His complete exasperation at their lack of haspiration
As they find the letter haitch is hunpronouncable-

We can't help it if we’re not exactly local
We can't help it if you think we don't fit in
The air up here’s less smoky and the houses aint so poky
But novelty is wearing rather thin.
We extend the hand of friendship to our neighbours
We say "good day", and " 'ow are you?" for all we're worth
Seems like friendship's out of fashion, or perhaps it's on the ration,
Maybe they haven't heard about it this far north.

credits

from All That's Changed vol 1, released June 1, 2009

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The Living Archive Band Milton Keynes, UK

An acoustic quintet with an emphasis on strong vocals to deliver both songs and the spoken word depicting the experiences of the people of North Buckinghamshire past and present. The inhabitants of the towns of Wolverton, Stony Stratford and Bletchley and of course the new city of Milton Keynes all have had something to say, and the Living Archive Band gives them a voice. ... more

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