Mum would shout and scream when dad would come home drunkWhen she asked him where he’d been, he’d say up the clissold armsChatting up some huzzy, but he didn’t mean no harmSunday morning drives, just to get awayRamsgate or southend, it would always be a laughPaddling by the sea, trousers rolled up to the kneesWalking by the sea, full of dreams, eating ice creamGrandma’s burnt her cheeks getting brown, turn her overFortis green, memories of days when I was youngIt can only be a memory. a time that now has goneThere’s uncle frank tellin’ stories from the warFrightening all the kids, yet we’d heard it all beforeWhile the bombs were droppin’ round, there were parties undergroundAunt lil’s at the gin, while mum’s singing songsFrom the 40’s when variety, max miller was going strongAll the characters are gone, oh, what a blooming shameI wish that it could be like it was in the old daysSat on auntie’s knee, toasting bread in the fire-placeFortis green, memories of days when I was youngIt can only be a memory. a time that now has goneMemories of fortis green, when I was just a ladCollecting bottle tops, threepenny bits. fishing with my dadSister’s in the doorway, snogging with her blokeScared to put the cat out ’case I put him off his strokeBut she wouldn’t be denied, I got a shilling as a bribeI used to do my courting on an old kitchen chairThe girls were all so sporting, but I only really cared for my little katie-sueThere was nothing she wouldn’t doSunday after tea we would listen to the wirelessHancock’s half-hour, luxembourg. we’d sit for hoursFortis green, memories of days when I was youngIt can only be a memory. a time that now has goneFortis green, memories of days when I was youngCollecting bottle tops, threepenny bits. fishing with my dadThat’s it