15 Years

I never was a violent man Said the man in the bar with his head in his hands Trying his best to understand the cause of his dismay But years of gin have broken him And left him cold where he fitted in It's too late to turn around and find another way All the lights in the late night lock-in Fade away when he gets in And the girl from fifteen years ago Has packed and gone away She said it'll never be what it used to be What happened to all that energy You took too many liberties, and I'm tired of being afraid So night after night she took flight Hiding swollen eyes and a wounded pride The best years of her life denied, sold for liquid shares [Chorus:] The victims of this world, are advertised on posters A beach and a pretty girl, if you just drink their potion It's another week 'til his cheque comes through He's got a fiver left to spend on food But the doors of the bar are open, and he breaks another rule He sits on the stool that bears his name His favorite glass is called the same And he's never kept waiting, 'cause he pays the landlord's wage --- 15 Years - The Levellers