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The Story of Down Our Street

from The Early Years - Box Set by Lorraine Bowen

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about

From 1990 and a lost box of cassettes! The Story of Down our Street was one of Lorraine's poems to music that made it onto Mini Album no 2 in 1991. It was recorded on four track tape recorder using Casio Organ, street noises from Stoke Newington and Paul Martin who plays Jessie, the neighbour.
Lorraine wrote loads of poems set to music - hilariously naive listening back - but fun all the same!

lyrics

The Story of Down Our Street by Lorraine Bowen

The street where I live is a street full of strangers
And the only neighbour I know is
Jessie down our row
And even he lives four doors down
In this scared and unfriendly town.

We often meet in the street.
If I’m cutting the hedge and I make a loud clatter,
his head pops round the edge and he might stay for a natter.

I hadn’t seen him for a while
but today I see him swerve in his car to the kerb
boasting the biggest smile

“I’ve been away for a while” he says
“I’ve been ill.” And I notice he pops in a pill.

Jessie: How are you? What you been up to?
Lorraine: Usual old story getting a record contract. What about yourself?
Jessie: Well I’m OK now…. mind you…..

The he suddenly tells me his story
And I’ll warn the fainthearted at this moment, IT’S GOREY!

“I fell off a ladder in the West Country.
I broke my hip, fractured my rib. My retina fell out.
I went blind in one eye and after that I died!”

GASP! I nearly chocked on the left-over toast in my throat!
I cried out “then you must be a ghost!”

He replied however, that in minutes he was alive again forever.
Cos the bloke from over the road had heard his cry and rushed to the scene as he saw my friend die.
Luckily a member of the Lifeboat Association, he gave my friend mouth to mouth resuscitation.

“Amazing,” I say. “You could have been six foot under” and his smile turned into a raw laugh of thunder.
“I can’t believe I have made a survival.”
And he gave me that look of ‘Lucky-to-be-alive-oh’
“Death had just missed me, death had just kissed me!
And I’ve sent that lifeboat man a bottle of whiskey!”

THE END

credits

from The Early Years - Box Set, released February 9, 2022
Music and lyrics by Lorraine Bowen
Recorded on 4-track home portable cassette machine in 1990.
Stoke Newington, London
Jessie = Paul Martin

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Lorraine Bowen London, UK

Lorraine Bowen is a quirky fabulous songwriter with SEVEN albums up her sleeve! Her music is highly original has lovely melodies for all to sing along with!

Lorraine's Bandcamp is an alternative to Spotify streaming. Lorraine loves BANDCAMP! The audio is much better and each sale counts for about 10,000 Spotify streams.
Many thanks for the support! ... more

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