Uncle Arthur

(album: David Bowie - 1967)

Strikes the bell for 5 o'clock
Uncle Arthur closes shop
Screws the tops on all the bottles
Turns the lights out, locks it up

Climbs across his bike and he's away
Cycles past the gasworks, past the river
Down the high street back to mother
It's another empty day

Uncle Arthur likes his mommy
Uncle Arthur still reads comics
Uncle Arthur follows Batman

'Round and 'round the rumours fly, how he ran away from Mum
On his 32nd birthday, told her that he'd found a chum

Mother cried and raved and yelled and fussed
Arthur left her no illusion
Brought the girl 'round, save confusion
Sally was the real thing, not just lust

Uncle Arthur vanished quickly
Uncle Arthur and his new bride
Uncle Arthur follows Sally

'Round and 'round goes Arthur's head
Hasn't eaten well for days
Little Sally may be lovely
But cooking leaves her in a maze

Uncle Arthur packed his bags and fled
Back to mother, all's forgiven, serving in the family shop
He gets his pocket money, he's well fed

Uncle Arthur past the gasworks
Uncle Arthur past the river
Uncle Arthur down the high street
Uncle Arthur follows mother