Lyrics - The Battle Of Epping Forrest by Genesis

Along the
Forest
Road, there's hundreds of cars - luxury cars
Each has got its load of convertible bars, cutlery cars - superscars
For today is the day when they sort it out, sort it out
Cos they disagree on a gangland boundary
Cos they disagree on a gangland boundary
There's
Willy
Wright and his boys - one helluva noise, that's
Billy's boys
With fully-fashioned mugs, that's
Little
John's thugs, the
Barking
Slugs - supersmugs
For today is the day when they sort it out, sort it out
Yes, these
Christian soldiers fight to protect the poor
East-
End heroes got to score in ...
The
Battle of
Epping
Forest
Yes it's the
Battle of
Epping
Forest
Right outside our door
No, you ain't seen nothing like this
No, you ain't seen nothing like this
Not since the
Civil
War
Coming over the hill are the boys of
Bill, and
Johnny's lads stand very still
With the thumpire's shout, they all start to clout - there's no guns in this gentlemen's bout
Georgie moves in on the outside left with a chain flying round his head
And
Harold
Demure, from
Art
Literature, nips up the nearest tree(
Here come the cavalry)
Amidst the battle roar
Accountants keep the score: 10 - 4
They've never been alone, after getting a radiophone
The bluebells are ringing for
Sweetmeal
Sam, real ham
Handing out bread and jam just like any picnic, picnic, picnic, picnic
It's 5 - 4 on
William
Wright, he made his pile on
Derby night
When
Billy was a kid, walking the streets, the other kids hid - so they did
Now, after working hard in security trade, he's got it made
The shops that need aid are those that haven't paid"
I do my double-show quick", said
Mick the
Prick, fresh out the nick"
I sell cheap holiday.
The minute they leave, then a visit
I pay - and does it pay"
And his friend,
Liquid
Len by name, of
Wine
Women and
Wandsworth fame
Said: "
I'm breaking the legs of the bastard that got me framed
I'm breaking the legs of the bastard that got me framed, got me framed"
They called me the
Reverend when
I entered the
Church unstained
My employers have changed but the name has remained
It all began when
I went on a tour, hoping to find some furniture
Followed a sign saying "
Beautiful
Chest", led to a lady who showed me her best
She was taken by surprise when
I quickly closed my eyes
So she rang the bell, and quick as hell
Bob the
Nob came out on his job to see what the trouble was"
Louise, is the
Reverend hard to please ?""
You're telling me""
Perhaps,
Sir, if it's not too late, we could interest you in our old-fashioned
Staffordshire plate ?""
Oh no, not me,
I'm a man of repute"
But the
Devil caught hold of my soul and a voice called out, "
Shoot"
To save my steeple,
I visited people
For this
I had gone when
I met
Little
John
His name came,
I understood
When the judge said, "
You are a robbing hood"
He told me of his strange foundation
Conceived on sight of the
Woodstock nation
He'd had to hide his reputation
When poor, 'twas salvation from door to door
But now, with a pin-up guru every week
It was
Love,
Peace &
Truth
Incorporated for all who seek
He employed me as a karmamechanic, with overal charms
His hands were then fit to receive, receive alms
That's why we're in ...
Battle of
Epping
Forest
Yes, it's the
Battle of
Epping
Forest
Right outside your door
We guard your souls for peanuts
And we guard your shops and houses
For just a little more
Just a little more
In with a left hook is the
Bethnal
Green
Butcher
But he's countered on the right by
Mick's chaingang fight
And
Liquid
Len, with his smashed bottle men
Is lobbing
Bob the
Nob across the gob
With his kisser in a mess,
Bob seems under stress
But
Jones the
Jug hits
Len right in the mug
And
Harold
Demure, who's still not quite sure
Fires acorns from out of his sling(
Here come the cavalry)
Up, up above the crowd
Inside their
Silver
Cloud, done proud
The bold and brazen brass, seen darkly through the glass
The butler's got jam on his
Rolls;
Roy doles out the lot
With tea from a silver pot just like any picnic, picnic, picnic, picnic
Along the
Forest
Road, it's the end of the day and the
Clouds roll away
Each has got its load - they'll come out for the count at the break-in of day
When the limos return for their final review, it's all through-
All they can see is the morning goo"
There's no one left alive - it must be a draw"
So the
Blackcap
Barons toss a coin to settle the score

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