I had no idea where I was going How I lived or what I did here hie yawning guifbetween Hangs like a rope from a wooden beam Breathing life into these stone-cold lips Putting gas in this battered old stretch limousine City of London Above this unquiet grave I smell the smell of decay And stumble through the streets of grey It never rains but it sometimes does Please, sir, can I have some more? How long can you carry on? Till the empire's built and die empire's gone City of London Ten square miles of hurt and how the dirt is done City of London, take off your clothes City of London, tip your hat And show me your balding scalp The empire's gone Go directly to the graveyard Sling your hook along the way Do not pause to ask directions there are no signs along die way Do not ask friends or strangers They will not know the way Your whole life flashes before you In the most unsatisfactory way Drink and drugs, they weren't the problem Weren't what got you in the end City of London 10 square miles of hurt and how the dirt is done Sometimes you see things and you know they're evil Like a face, or a dog, or a place I've got problems you wouldn't believe But I'm not quite ready to talk about them City of London, take off your clothes City of London, tip your hat And show me your balding scalp the empire's gone