Furniture

To Gus

Written by Jim Irvin, Hamilton Lee, Tim Whelan

Published by Copyright Control

Maybe in your time
Things were worse than they are now
Or seem so

We gaze into the past it takes on a rosy glow
Or seems to

With ale at three and two a barrel
We could all forget our troubles
Or seem to

Sing the folks some songs
That have popped into your head
They're laughing

Put the donkey in the wash house
Grab a crust of bread
And you're laughing

Swells may pass you by
A Piccadilly window in the eye
And you're laughing

Life up from the bottom has got you to the top
Or something
A life that is a symbol of never giving up
Or something

Tell us of the fame you've found
With Wait Until The Work Comes Round
Or something

Wandering by your place
I wonder did you ever starve
You always had a bob or two from making people laugh
The bright blue plaque
proudly boasts your name
The bright blue posters say that nothing's changed
Gus, you wouldn't recognise your town
But you sure as hell would recognise the times
They're laughing, Or something
It seems so

Source: The Wrong People — 2010 Cherry Red reissue CD booklet (CDMRED441). Booklet reproduces the original Stiff 1986 LP lyric sheet.

Commentary

A little song about being a pop star in another era. For Gus Elan, cockney music-hall star who popularised songs like It's A Great Big Shame, If It Wasn't For The Houses In Between and Wait Until The Work Comes Round.

Jim Irvin — Band commentary, 2010 Cherry Red reissue booklet (compiled by Jim, Tim and Hami)