i am staying in the shadows
of the lamps that line the way
i'm out of breath and on the run
my endurance quickly decays
on past the books and the clocks
past barber poles and cobblestones
at every door i stop to knock
being locked out is getting old

i hear howling of the dogs
i hear mewing of the cats
i hear moaning of the fog
and the squeaking of the rats
i hear hissing of the roaches
i hear buzzing of the gnats
i hear the creaks of the coaches
and the cheeping of the bats
i hear silence of the spiders
i hear flick'ring of the snakes
i hear calling of the vultures
water cans and garden rakes
i smell mincemeat pie she bakes
see kids wand'ring in the street,
the old burglar's hand who takes
and the soot of the chimney sweep

hither and yon my feet wander
like a babe without it's nanny
and my overactive mind wonders
what hides in the nooks and crannies
desparately searching for an escape
to somewhere that is safe and sound
where windows are covered by drapes
and all the beasts are tamed and bound

and the animals in the alley all come out to feed
and i'm lost i've lost the tally of warnings given me

i'm lost in this mad maze
deeper with each new thing i learn
always further up and further in
this city has no twists or turns
i flee to keep the beasts at bay
to distant figures i wave and shout
but even though i try and try
there's no way back and no way out