Islington John

This part of town is all flatfish tramps
 Beautiful women becoming mothers
 All night long the piano grins
 And I sit drinking sweetheart stout
 Hey lonely you, you with the negro face
 Say lonely what time does the music start?
 Suddenly the actress belly laughs
 And I put my hand on hers
 Islington John, time you were gone
 Look at the clock, it's a quarter to one
 And when it strikes the hour
 I will steal your poppy flower
 I get a nosebleed under the blue lamp
 The actress goes up to the ugly man and they kiss
 The wind ruffles the polythene
 On a woman drunk on powdered milk and gas
 Me and the actress meet a crowd walking backwards
 Football fans attacking gypsy caravans
 Someone hits my head from the back
 As I'm peeping at cookery down an extractor stack
 Islington John, time you were gone
 Look at the clock, it's a quarter to one
 And when it strikes the hour
 I will steal your poppy flower
 Cars beep as we flamenco dance on the pavement
 The innards of an old alsatian preserved by frost
 Back at her flat the actress gargles
 and puts on a record by Juliette Greco
 Islington John, time you were gone
 Look at the clock, it's a quarter to one
 And when it strikes the hour
 I will steal your poppy flower
 Islington John lifted the nylon
 Lay amongst the broken antiques and smiled
 Reeking of coffee and piss
 Sober enough just to say this:
 "I will pay for the fire extinguisher
 The sand bucket and case
 If you will let me pay for this man's face"
 Islington John, time you were gone
 Look at the clock, it's a quarter to one
 And when it strikes the hour
 I will steal your poppy flower
 I will steal your poppy flower
 I will steal your poppy flower