London is a city that is always changing,
With all these different people from all these different places
And London's history is complicated and long
I wouldn't be surprised if it was written down all wrong
Because the person with the pen always has an agenda
Don't be surprised though if I've got one too though will you?
Cause I know this city like the back of my hand
But it's moving in a way that I find hard to understand
And I can't quite put my finger on it but I know that something's wrong
It's like my hands are tied to a time bomb.
()
Gentrification
It's hard to know exactly what it is
But it's definitely happening,
Right beneath my feet
Am I part of the problem?
Am I part of the solution?
Do I have to die in rented accomodation?
As I close my eyes and I picture the future
And all I see is Wagamama
When I first moved here
London - it was known for playing rough.
I got mugged on my front door step once
Not that that is anything to be proud about
Back when Upper Clapton Road was called the murder mile
But the rent was cheap and that suited me fine
I must've been about 20 years old at the time
But London it was welcoming,
Open and creative.
And because it was affordable everyone invited,
From photographers and artists
People starting bands.
We used to go to gigs and clubs in the West End.
()
Gentrification
It's hard to know exactly what it is
But it's definitely happening right beneath my feet
Am I part of the problem?
Am I part of the solution?
And do I have to die in rented accomodation
As I close my eyes
And I picture the future
And all I see is Wagamama
And Boris Johnson, a bozo on a Barclaycard bike.
Buying into selling off basic human rights
And all the clubs and venues, and good places to live
Were priced out of the centre and pushed out to the east
Where they settled in and started a trend
The best thing since sourdough bread
But they grew their mustaches
And opened up their coffee shops
They didn't look around at the local people they'd pissed off
The ones who had lived here before
We're no longer welcome in this world of cool
And now Upper Clapton Road feels losts - and confused.
()
Gentrification
It's hard to know exactly what it is
But it's definitely happening right beneath my feet
Am I part of the problem?
Am I part of the solution?
And do I have to die in rented accomodation
As I close my eyes
And I picture the future
And all I see is Wagamama
And Wagamama seems like a harmless thing at first
But you've only got to go to Westfield once
To understand we're just part of a master plan
And soon Upper Clapton Road will look exactly the same
And the coffee shops and galleries will be hit by rising rent
And they'll quickly be turned into chain restaurants
As the price of a house goes through the roof
Soon the only people living here are arsehole banker cunts
And they'll take all of your lively hood and turn it into flats
How do you feel about that?
()
Gentrification
It's hard to know exactly what it is
It's definitely happening right beneath my feet
Am I part of the problem?
Am I part of the solution?
And do I have to die in rented accomodation
As I close my eyes
And I picture the future
And all I see is Wagamama
All I see is Costa Coffee
And all I see is CCTV
And all I see is a soulless city
And all I see is overpriced property
And all I see is a gated community
And all I see is Wagamama.