John Illsley Nothing To Do Lyrics

We moved from the land and empires were made
Built with the power of the wheel and the lathe
Chimneys and factories grew from the earth
We had pride in our work, we were proud of our birth

Now the factories are silent, the gates locked and barred
Machines gather dust where once they were heard
The clock on the wall, well it's taking its time
It doesn't know there's this mountain to climb

I used to drink on a Friday, take the kids to the zoo
But money's too tight, my hands turning blue
I got on my bike and formed an orderly queue
I'm doin' my best, but there's nothing to do

Windows are smashed, but nobody cares
Roof is a sieve, they're doing deals on the stairs Trolleys from stores and burnt our cars
Cracks in the pavement and junk in the yard

I used to drink on a Friday, take the kids to the zoo
But money's too tight, my hands turning blue
I got on my bike and formed an orderly queue
I'm doin' my best, but there's nothing to do

Now the families split, they're broken in two
I'm losing the light, I'm losing the view
There's a break in the rhythm, a pain in my heart
And I thought I knew the best place to start

I used to drink on a Friday, take the kids to the zoo
But money's too tight, my hands turning blue
I got on my bike and formed an orderly queue
I'm doin' my best, but there's nothing to do