Streets Of London - Ralph McTell (cover)

Temporary version until this summer:

"The Streets Of London" - Ralph McTell

Have you seen the old man in the closed down market?
Kicking up the papers with his worn out shoes
In his eyes you see no pride
Hand held losely by his side
Yesterdays papers telling yesterdays news

Refrain:
So how can you tell me
Youre lonely
And say for you the sun dont shine
Let me take you by the hand
and lead you through the streets of London
Ill show you something
To make you change your mind

Have you seen the old girl who walks the streets of London
Dirt in her hair and her clothes in rags
Shes no time for talking
She just keeps right on walking
Carrying her home in two carrier bags

Rafrain

In the all night cafe at a quarter past eleven
Same old mans sitting there on his own
Looking at the world
over the rim of his teacup
Each tea lasts an hour and he wanders home alone

Refrain

Have you seen the old man outside the seamans mission
Memory fading with the medal ribbons that he wears
In our winter city
The rain cries a little pity
For one more forgotten hero and a world that doesnt care

Refrain

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Streets of London
• Ralph
• McTell

[starchnlfan11]

wow beautiful uve got a great voice sir awsome

[michelstrogoff99]

@starchnlfan11

Thank you for listening, and for the positive feedback. Always a pleasant way to use the internet between strangers. Great song by Ralph McTell. Happy surfing.

[jiaozhe410]

wow i love the song...and i must say that ur voice is wonderful

[michelstrogoff99]

@jiaozhe410 Thank you for the kind compliment. Always nice when people leave positive feedback. Have a good year 2012.

[lipmanss]

i am definitly not from covers but this one is pretty done man respect

grtz lip

[michelstrogoff99]

@lipmanss Thank you. This was only supposed to be one of my practise versions, but somehow, this year I never quite got round to a more serious recording. Very glad you liked it as it is. All the best for 2012.

[michelstrogoff99]

@mike61219 Thank you for listening and for your appreciation. London will always be London, though it may not be the London we might (wish to) remember. This song does date a little, but the sentiment feels right, and the way McTell describes the people in such few words is brilliant. A great song about a great city, you are right.

[mike61219]

Very well done this song brings back so many memories, but saddened that the street of London are still the same with the poor and the homeless.

[Bjowolf2]

@Bjowolf2

Aha, thought so (opera) - lots of vibrato (?) and strong "sound" there )

And great acoustics in that room as well. Record companies should be paying

you for permission to record there LOL

[Bjowolf2]

@michelstrogoff99

Like I said, it's a very common "mistake" - nearly every tab has it, so you are in great company.

For many years I also sang "hands" there.

I think it stems right back from the first ones, which got it wrong. Very easy to mishear or even misinterpretate as a missing "cockney" H. Act. Ralph in a great recent tab book, "Song for Six Strings" mentioned that to his knowledge, this was the first tme that the lyrics had been printed correctly ("and").