All This Time

I looked out across the river today
Saw a city in the fog and an old church tower
Where the seagulls play
Saw the sad shire horses walking home in the sodium light
And a pale sun shrinks from the empty streets
And the day falls into night.

All this time the river flowed endlessly to the sea
Wallsend
Yeah, Wallsend, more like the world's end.

Our teachers told us, the Romans built this place
They built a wall and a temple
At an edge of the empire garrison town
They lived and they died, they prayed to their gods
But the stone gods did not make a sound
And their empire crumbled, ‘til all that was left
Were the stones the workmen found.

All this time the river flowed endlessly to the sea
If I had my way, I'd take a boat from the river
And I'd bury the old man, bury him at sea.

Nothing's ever changed round here
Not in ten thousand years I fear
Same bend in the river, where the tide slows down
And the seagulls circle this dirty old town
So I ask myself why the Hell would I stay?
Just churches and pubs where ye drink or ye pray
And the sky's still the same old battleship grey
If only the pubs stayed open all day.

All this time the river flowed
In the falling light of a northern sun
Well I had my way, I took a boat from the river
Cos men go crazy in congregations
They only get better one by one.

One by one (all this time, yeah ee-yeah)
All this time, yeah ee-yeah
One by one by one (all this time, yeah ee-yeah)
All this time, yeah ee-yeah
One by one (all this time, yeah ee-yeah)

I looked out across the river today...