There once was man with a dream in his heart With a dream just the same as you There once was a man with a gleam in his eye But the gleam in your eye given time will die If the dream that you dreamt is a dream that you can't pursue People like us don't join the clubs Jump the queues, get served in pubs People like us must learn where we fit in People are decent, true enough Decent till you call their bluff For people can't see beyond one mortal sin The colour of your skin Basic freedoms, basic rights Yes it's true, we have these prizes in our sights In this England, in these times Many acts which once were common, now are crimes And strong or weak, all men are equal Clearly, oh, well, nearly People like us can serve in shops Varnish nails, wipe table tops People like us are free to muddle through People will tell you you'll succeed Brains or brawn are all you need People like us are only free to do what they allow us to There once was a man with a gleam in his eye But the gleam disappeared and the dream ran dry People like us don't fit the bill, don't run the world and never will But then, it was ever thus, for people like us For people like us