Good friends, gather round and I'll tell you a tale
It's a story well known to all lovers of ale
For the old English pub, once a man's second home
Has been decked out by brewers in plastic and foam

Oh, what have they done to the old Rose and Crown?
The Ship, the King's Arms, and the World Upside Down.
For oak, brass, and leather, and a pint of the best
Fade away like the sun as it sinks in the west

The old oaken bar where the pumps filled your glass
Gives way to Formica and tanks full of gas
And the landlord behind, once a man of good cheer
Will just mumbles the price as he hands you your beer

Oh, what have they done to the old Rose and Crown?
The Ship, the King's Arms, and the World Upside Down.
For oak, brass, and leather, and a pint of the best
Fade away like the sun as it sinks in the west

And where are the friends who would meet for a jar
And a good game of darts in the old public bar?
For the dartboard is gone, in its place is a thing
Where you pull on the handle and lose all your tin

Oh, what have they done to the old Rose and Crown?
The Ship, the King's Arms, and the World Upside Down.
For oak, brass, and leather, and a pint of the best
Fade away like the sun as it sinks in the west

But the worst of it all's what they've done to the beer
For their shandies and lagers will make you feel queer
For an arm and a leg, they will fill up your glass
With a half and half mixture of ullage and gas

Oh, what have they done to the old Rose and Crown?
The Ship, the King's Arms, and the World Upside Down.
For oak, brass, and leather, and a pint of the best
Fade away like the sun as it sinks in the west

So come all you good fellow who like to sup ale
Here's hope to a happier end to my tale
For there's nothing can fill a man's heart with more cheer
Than to sit in a pub with a pint of good beer

Oh, what have they done to the old Rose and Crown?
The Ship, the King's Arms, and the World Upside Down.
For oak, brass, and leather, and a pint of the best
Fade away like the sun as it sinks in the west