Ralph McTell schreef Streets of London mede uit ergernis over het routineuze geklaag van kennissen die allemaal beschikten over een goede baan, een goed inkomen en een dak boven hun hoofd. Voor de voorbeelden greep hij terug op zijn eigen leven als zwervend muzikant op het vasteland van Europa en op zijn waarnemingen in Londen. Aan het slot van de video een kort interview met McTell. Als toetje vandaag de wonderschone versie van Liam Clancy, volgens Bob Dylan de beste balladezanger ter wereld.
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
Hands held loosely at his side
Yesterday’s paper, telling yesterday’s news
So how can you tell me you’re lonely
And say for you that the sun don’t shine
Let me take you by the hand
And lead you through the streets of London
I’ll 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
She’s no time for talking
She just keeps right on walking
Carrying her home in two carrier bags
So how can you tell me you’re lonely
And say for you that the sun don’t shine
Let me take you by the hand
And lead you through the streets of London
I’ll show you something
To make you change your mind
In the all night cafe at a quarter past eleven
The same old man 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
So how can you tell me that you’re lonely
And say for you that the sun don’t shine
Let me take you by the hand
And lead you through the streets of London
I’ll show you something
To make you change your mind
Have you seen the old man
Outside the seamen’s mission
Memory fading with the medal ribbons that he wears
In our city winter the rain cries little pity
For one more forgotten hero
And a world which doesn’t care
So how can you tell me you’re lonely
And say for you that the sun don’t shine
Let me take you by the hand
And lead you through the streets of London
I’ll show you something
To make you change your mind
