Pearl's Cafe

(album: More Specials - 1980)

You saw a woman in a cafe, lips of crimson, yellow grin
Her shoes were wrong and she looked extremely thin
Her jewels were faked, she had a rinse, her hair was greyish blue
She looked ashamed when she explained to you.

It ain't easy when there's no one to lean on
It ain't easy when there's nobody there
It ain't easy when your lovers are all gone
Nobody there, nobody cares.

The pubs were closed she'd got nowhere to go when she'd spilled her tea
Have you never thought, one day that could be me ?
Her temper changed, she looked so deranged, her perfume turned to gin
You looked at her and she began to sing.

It's all a load of bollocks
It's all a load of bollocks
It's all a load of bollocks
And bollocks to it all.

You tell me you think that they should lock her away and scrape the make-up off her skin
Then we'd see the warts around her chin
She tried to keep her looks but lost her mind when she lost her youth and grace
Your words were just an insult to her face.

It ain't easy when there's no one to lean on
It ain't easy when there's nobody there
It ain't easy when your lovers are all gone
And bollocks to it all.

When I first saw you, I really thought you were a wet dream come true
Now I know that you don't care about somebody else's nightmare.