LyricMeaning

Overture
Madness

This is the story of the Liberty Of Norton Folgate

Old Jack Norris, the musical shrimp and the cadging ramble.....

A little bit of this, would you like a bit of that

But in weather like this, you should wear a coat, a nice warm hat
A needle and thread the hand stitches of time
Battling Levinsky versus Jackie Burk
Bobbing and weaving, an invisible line

So step for step and both light on our feet
We'll travel many along dim silent street

Would you like a bit of this, or a little bit of that? (Misses)
A little bit of what you like does you no harm, you know that
The perpetual steady echo of the passing beat
A continual dark river of people
In it's transience and in it's permanence
But, when the streetlamp fills the gutter with gold
So many priceless items bought and sold

So step for step and both light on our feet
We'll travel many along dim silent street (together)

Once round Arnold Circus, and up through Petticoat Lane
Past the well of shadows, and once back round again
Arm in arm, with an abstracted air
To where the people stare
Out of the upstairs windows
Because we are living like kings
And these days will last forever

Cos sailors from Africa, China and the archipelago of Malay
Jump ship ragged and penniless into Shadwells Tiger Bay
The Welsh and Irish wagtails, mothers of midnight
The music hall carousel enspilling out into bonfire light
Sending half crazed shadows, giants dancing up the brick wall
Of Mr Trumans beer factory, waving, bottles ten feet tall

Whether one calls it Spitalfields, Whitechapel, Tower Hamlets
Or Banglatown. We're all dancing in the moonlight, we're all
On borrowed ground.

Oh, I'm just walking down to, I'm just floating down through
Won't you come with me, to the Liberty of Norton Folgate
But wait!
What's that?
Dan Leno
And the Limehouse golem

[Whistling duet]

Purposefully walking nowhere, oh I'm happy just floating about
(Have a banana)
On a Sunday afternoon, the stallholders all call and shout
To no-one in particular
Avoiding people you know, you're just basking in you're own company
The technicolour world's going by, but you're the lead in your own movie

Cos in the Liberty of Norton Folgate
Walking wild and free, in your second hand coat,
Happy just to float
In this little taste of liberty
A part of everything you see

They're coming left and right
Trying to flog you stuff you don't need or want
And a smiling chap takes your hand
And drags you in his Uncles restaurant
(ee-yar, ee-yar, ee-yar)

There's a Chinese man trying hard to flog you moody DVDs
You know? You've seen the film, it's black and white, it's got no sound
And a man's head pops up and down
Right across your widescreen TV
(Only a fiver)
('Ow much?)
(Alright, two for eight quid)
(Ee-yar, ee-yar, look, I'm givin' it away)
(Givin' it away!)

Cos in the Liberty of Norton Folgate
Walking wild and free, in your second hand coat,
Happy just to float
In this little piece of liberty
You're a part of everything you see

There's the sturdy old fellows, pickpockets, dandy's, extortioners
And night wanderers, the feeble, the ghastly, upon whom death
Had placed a very sure hand,
Some in shreds and patches,
Reeling inarticulate full of noisy and inordinate vivacity
That jars discordantly upon the ear
And gives an aching sensation to both pair of eyeballs
(Noisy and inordinate vivacity)

Ohhhh ahhhhhh ahhhhh [etc]

In the beginning was a fear of the immigrant
In the beginning was a fear of the immigrant
He's made his way down to the dark riverside

In the beginning was a fear of the immigrant
In the beginning was a fear of the immigrant
He's made his home there down by the dark riverside

Ohhhh ahhhhhh ahhhhh [etc]

He made his home there down by the riverside
They made their homes there down by the riverside
The city sprang up from the dark river Thames

They made their home there down by the riverside
They made their homes there down by the riverside
The city sprang up from the dark mud of the Thames
I'll say it again

(Ha ha ha, that's right)

'Cos in the Liberty of Norton Folgate
Walking wild and free
And in your second hand coat
Happy just to float
In this little taste of liberty
Cos you're a part of everything you see
Yes, you're a part of everything you see

With a little bit of this
And a little bit of that
A little bit of what you like does you no harm
And you know that

Ohhhh ahhhhhh ahhhhh [etc. (repeat to end)]


  Purchase "Overture"   Purchase Entire Album   Email Video to Friends   Play Youtube "Overture" Video   Play Spotify "Overture" Song   View Wikipedia "Overture" Entry   Receive Emails for Future Madness Lyrics

Email:

  Link to "Overture"   Share on Facebook, Twitter, and more
  See Recommended Lyrics For You

Loading...

Lyrics by Madness

  (A Portrait Of) Jennie   (waiting for) The Ghost Train   11th Hour   4 Am   4 B.F.   4am   A Day On The Town   A Town With No Name   Africa   Airplane   Airplane (Never Ask Twice)   Airplane A.K.A. Never Ask Twice   All I Knew   Animal Farm   Are You Coming   Are You Coming (With Me)   Are You Coming With Me   Baggy Trousers   Be Good Boy   Beat The Bride   Bed And Breakfast Man   Behind The 8 Ball   Behind The Eight Ball   Believe Me   Benny Bullfrog   Bingo   Black And Blue   Blue Skinned Beast   Brand New Beat   Burning The Boats   Call Me   Calling Cards   Cardiac Arrest   Chipmunks Are Go   Chipmunks are Go!   Circus Freaks   Clerkenwell Polka   Close Escape   Coldest Day   Communicator   Crying Shame   Dangerman A.K.A. High Wire   Day On The Town   Death Of A Rude Boy   Deceives The Eye   Decieves The Eye   Disapear   Disappear   Dont Look Back   Dont Quote Me On That   Dreaming Man   Drip Fed Fred   Driving In My Car   Dust Devil   E R N I E   E.R.N.I.E.   Elysium   Embarrasment   Embarrassment   Ernie   Fireball XL5   Flashings   Forever Young   Full house   Give Me A Reason   Going To The Top   Grey Day   Guns   Guns [*]   House Of Fun   How Can I Tell You   How Can I Tell You?   Huose of Fun [Video] [Multimedia Track]   I Chase The Devil   I Chase The Devil A.K.A. Ironshirt   I Pronounce You   I'll Compete   Idiot Child   If I Didn't Care   In The City   In The Middle Of The Night   In The Rain   In Wonder   Inanity Over Christmas   Israelites   It Must Be Love   It Must Be Love   Jennie ( A Portrait Of )   Jennie (A Portrait Of)   John Jones   Johnny the Horse   Keep Moving   Kitchen Floor   La Luna   Land Of Hope And Glory   Land Of The Hope And Glory   Leon   Liberty of Norton Folgate   Light Of The Way   Lola   Lovestruck   Mad Not Mad   Madness   Madness (Is all In The Mind)   Madness [*]   Madness Song   March Of The Gherkins   Maybe In Another Life   Memories   Michael Caine   Micheal Caine   Misery   Missing You   Mistakes   MK II   Money, Money, Money   Mr Speaker (Gets the Word)   Mr Speaker Gets The Word   Mr. Apples   Mr. Speaker (Gets The Word)   Mr. Speaker Gets The Word   Mrs Hutchinson   Mrs. Hutchinson   Mummy's Boy   My Girl   My Girl [Live]   My Girl 2   Nail Down The Days   Never Ask Twice (AKA Airplane)   Never Ask Twice Aka Airplane   Never Knew Your Name   New Delhi   Night Boat To Cairo   Nightboat to Cairo   Nightmare Nightmare   No Money   Not Home Today   Nutty Theme   NW5   Oh   On The Beat Pete   On The Town   One Better Day   One Step Beyond   One Step Beyond [*]   One Step Beyond...   One's Second Thoughtlessness   Our House   Our House [*]   Our House [Special Remix]   Our House [Video] [Multimedia Track]   Overdone   Pac-a-mac   Perfect Place   Please Dont Go   Powder Blue   Primrose Hill   Prince   Prince [Edit]   Promises Promises   Prospects   Rain   Rainbows   Razor Blade Alley   Remembering all so clear   Return Of The Los Palmas 7   Riding on My Bike   Rise And Fall   Rockin in Ab   Samantha   Sarah   Sarah [*]   Saturday Night Sunday Morning   Saturday Night, Sunday Morning   Saturday Night/Sunday Morning   Shadow Of Fear   Shadow On My House   Shadow On The House   Shame And Scandal   Shut Up   Sign Of The Times   Simple Equation   Small World   So Alive   So Much Trouble In The World   Solid Gone   Song In Red   Stepping Into Line   Sugar And Spice   Sun and the Rain   Sunday Morning   Swan Lake   Swan Lake [Live] [Live]   Sweetest Girl   Take It Or Leave It   Taller Than You Are   Tarzan's Nuts   Tears You Can't Hide   Tears You Can’t Hide   Tears You Cant Hide   That Close   That Face   Thats The Way To Do It   The Business   The Communicator   The Ghost of Reverand Greene   The Harder They Come   The Hunchback of Torriano   The Liberty of Norton Folgate   The Opium Eaters   The Prince   The Return Of The Los Palmas 7   The Rise and Fall   The Sun And The Rain   The Sweetest Girl   The Wizard   The Young and The Old   Thunder And Lightning   Time   Time For Tea   Tiptoes   Tommorows Dream   Tommorows Just Another Day   Tomorrow's (just Another Day)   Turning Blue   Un Paso Adelante   Uncle Sam   Victoria Gardens   Vietnam   Waiting for the Ghost Train   Walking With Mr. Wheeze   Waltz Into Mischief   We Are London   We Are Love   When Dawn Arrives   White Heat   Wings Of A Dove   Wings of a Dove/The Sun and the Rain/Michael Caine...   Wonderful   Yesterdays Men   You Keep Me Hanging On   You Said

Related Songs

  The Final Overture - Anubis Gate  Overture Or Obituary - Korn  This Is It - Chris Connor  Overture Or Obituary - KoЯn  Gone - No Second Troy  A Methodical Overture - Aborted  A Methodical Overture - Aborted  The Marching Line - Vanessa Carlton  Marching Line - Vanessa Carlton  Overseer Overture - Jethro Tull  Intro (Overture) - DJ Toure  Redemption (Overture) - Black Swan   Vanity's Overture - Burden of Life  Overture -Yggdalive- - Deluhi  Laughing Stock [*] - Grandaddy  Let's Escape Together - Beat Crusaders  Laughing Stock - Grandaddy  Schloss Lutz Overture - Alexandre Desplat  Swamp Castle Overture - Axel Rudi Pell  Overture-Running Lights - DJDS  Overture (For Noma) - Diana Yukawa  Right Arm Overture - Don Airey  The Baal Overture - Black Moon  Raw Light Overture - Botany  Omni of Genesis Overture - The-Dream  Overture M Gustave H - Alexandre Desplat  The Nutcraker "Petite Overture" - Anna Liani  Overture ‘Noam’, Op.1 - Avishai Cohen   L.van Beethoven. Overture "Egmont" - Blessed John  Overture / Would You Be Happy - Against the Wall  Monster Walking (I Monster Quartet Overture)...  Check Point 19 Criminal Internment Camp Overture...  Overture Towards the Beginning of the End of T...  Laughing Stock - Various Artists  Overture - Diana Ross  Stealth Overture - Apollo Four Forty  Overture (love Theme From Brainwasher) - Bare Jr.  Vietnamese Baby - New York Dolls  Vietnamese Baby [Recorded at Planet Studios, NYC, ...  Vietnamese Baby [Live] - New York Dolls  What? - Electric Light Orchestra  . . .and the Cold Came O'er the Feud...  All is Lost - Nearly  Oh Larsen B - British Sea Power  Desire In Violent Overture - Cradle Of Filth  Made Alive/Overture - Spock's Beard  Overture Of The Trilogy - Card Michael  Exogenesis: Symphony Part I - Muse  Exogenesis: Symphony Part 1 (Overture) - Muse  Overture of Fresh Air - Stairidden  The Titanic Overture - W.A.S.P  The Winner - Magellan  Exogenesis: Symphony Part 1 [Overture] - Muse  Exogenesis: Symphony, Pt. 1: Overture - Muse  Jacob's Ladder - Rush  Jacob's Ladder - Rush  Poison Trait - Blodulv  Exogenesis: Symphony Part I (Overture) - Muse  Swallow People Whole - The Receiving End Of Sirens  Overture - Patrick Wolf  Overture - The Average White Band  Overture - The Orchestra  Overture - Trans-Siberian Orchestra  Overture - Icon For Hire  Overture - Vermillion Lies  Overture - Carpenters  Overture - Tiffany  Overture - Dawn  Overture - Barbra Streisand  Overture - John Miles  Overture - National Symphony Orchestra  Overture - National Symphony Orchestra  Overture - John Mellencamp  Overture - London Symphony Orchestra  Overture [*] - The Orchestra  Overture - Blood, Sweat & Tears  Overture - Pete Townshend  Overture - Björk  Overture - John Owen Edwards  (Overture) - You Say Party We Say Die  Overture - Sylvan  Overture - Derdian  Overture - Iced Earth  Overture - Savatage  Overture - Pink Floyd  Overture - Harder To Fall  Overture - Lou Reed  Overture - Eels  Overture - Original London Cast  Overture - A Static Lullaby  Overture - The Who  Overture - Edguy  Overture - Def Leppard  Overture - Who  Overture - Dream Theater  Overture - Bad Religion  Overture - W.A.S.P.  Overture - Joni Mitchell  Overture - S.f.a.  Overture - Andrew Lloyd Webber  Overture - Andrew Lloyd Webber  Overture - Quick And The Dead  Overture - John Cale  Overture - Michael W. Smith  Overture - Patti LaBelle  Overture - Quinn Lemley  Overture - Mario Lanza  Overture - Frank Sinatra  Overture - CATS  Overture - The Blood Brothers  Overture - The Carpenters  Overture - Bloodsucking Zombies From Outer Space   Overture - Original Broadway Cast  Overture - Carpenters, The  Overture - The Sonix  Overture - Sleeping At Last  Vaxxine - Visqueen  Hook In Mouth - Megadeth  Exsanguine Lover - Elevator 22  Nocturnal Embrace - Macbeth  The Man Amplifier - Young Marble Giants  The Whistler-Overture - Ren And Stimpy  The Rest Of The Score - Blue Oyster Cult  A Midnight Poem - Dark Fortress  Funny Girl (Dialogue) - Barbra Streisand  A Furious Djinn Awakens - AktiveHate  The First Hello, the Last Goodbye...  First Hello, the Last Goodbye - Roger Whittaker  Mephistopheles - Deicide  A Raft Of Penguins - Ian Anderson  Sketches Of Suicide - AktiveHate  A Raft Of Penguins - Jethro Tull  The Messenger - Vaudeville  One Up the B Side - OZZY OSBOURNE  Another Op'nin', Another Show - Smash  Don't Let's Start (single mix)...  Don't Let's Start - They Might Be Giants  Don't Let's Start - They Might Be Giants  The Horror Grandeur - Morgul  One Up The B-side - Ozzy Osbourne  Footdown - Michael Penn  Victims Of The Revolution - Bad Religion  Darkzone Martyrium - Limbonic Art  Where's The Orchestra? - Billy Joel  Prologue - Ayreon  Discord Symphony - Watch Me Fall  Broadway USA Overture - Frederick the Great  Apocalypse (A Picture Perfect Ending) - Modico  Snowblind - Robbie Williams  Enlightenment Process - Impaled Nazarene  The Savage Massacre - MaYaN  Override Of The Overture - Dismember  Entanglement - Imogen Heap  Funeral Of Death - Limbonic Art  Saturday’s Child - Bishi  Nightfall Overture - Nightingale  Alpha Overture - Michael W. Smith  Monogamy Overture - Tim Kasher  Summer Overture - Clint Mansell  Everything (Overture) - Chris Bathgate  Khaos Overture - Arch Enemy  Overture (Dreamer) - New Orleans Swim Team  Overture [Live] - National Symphony Orchestra  Nightfall Overture - Nightingale  Stealth Overture - Apollo 440  Overture [Instrumental] - Orlando Pops Orchestra  Overture [Instrumental]...  Overture [Instrumental] - Dean Martin  Flipher Overture - Esthero  The Overture - National Symphony Orchestra  Overture (Processional) - Triumph  Overture [Instrumental] - O.B.C.  Titanic Overture - Alice Cooper  Summer Overture - Kronos Quartet  Overture [Instrumental] - Nikolo Kotzev  The Overture - London Symphony Orchestra  10538 Overture - Yukio Yung  baroque overture - Everdae  Texas Overture - Pere Ubu  Second Overture - Spock's Beard  Ouverture / Overture - Master's Hammer  Miklagard Overture - Turisas  The Overture - L’antietam  The Overture - The Orchestra  The Overture - Def Leppard  The Overture - Def Leppard  Second Overture - Spock's Beard  10538 Overture - Parthenon Huxley  Overture [Instrumental] - Philip Henderson  Overture [Instrumental] - Tango Saloon  Overture [DVD] - Blood, Sweat & Tears  R30 Overture - Rush  Overture [Instrumental] - Fabio Zuffanti  Titanic Overture - W.A.S.P.  Overture [Remastered] - Wumpscut  Overture 1928 - Dream Theater  Aina Overture - Aina  Fool's Overture - Supertramp  10538 Overture - Def Leppard  10538 Overture - Electric Light Orchestra
  Please consider supporting this site by Clicking Here and Bookmarking whenever you search and shop Amazon. It costs you nothing but it supports us and gives us credit and we appreciate it greatly.