Madness:When Dawn Arrives

“When Dawn Arrives”
Artist:	Madness
Albums:	7 (1981)
Composers:	Thompson/Barson
Lyricists:	Lee Thompson

He hums tonight through his street
My unlatched window the tune repeats
The kerb crawling car winds down to a stop
A few seconds mumbled then whisks him off

Sick and tired of abuse
Controlled signs of hysteria
But like when dawn arrives
He remembers his leisure

He risks tonight through his block
A crack in the curtains is unlocked
No meeting with a mother or greeting a friend
A sharp looking bootjack with some time to spend

Sick and tired of abuse
Controlled signs of hysteria
But like when dawn arrives
He remembers his leisure

He cries tonight through his manor
I can see his conscience get the better
From a doorway stepped in shadowed leather
Exchanging handshakes for money... and pleasure

He crawls tonight through his scum
From a dirty window, his body's numb
Beneath the street lamp tilts shoulders bent
Meets his pickup who pays his rent

Sick and tired of abuse
Controlled signs of hysteria
But like when dawn arrives
He remembers his leisure
His pleasure