Approval and affection, well they force you to perform
When you look at your reflection, does it make you feel warm?
Or does something hold you back, until someone holds you tight
Someone for a life-time, or maybe just a night

And I’ve tried and failed many times, I’ve rarely won
But I am a chatty bugger, yes I am my mother’s son
So I’ll try and find my finest shirt and show ‘em what I can
I’ve got various ambitions as an independent man

Does it make you start to question, is it better left unsaid?
With the power of suggestion there’s a stranger in your bed
Does it meet your expectation, does it ever guarantee?
Will the lonely hearts of England stand and raise a glass with me

With the girls all wearing dresses, and the fellas wearing shoes
Everything excessive, and everything to lose
When the bells ring out for two o’clock, it’s the measure of your night
You’ll either end-up frisky or you’ll end-up in a fight

Are you standing with your sweetheart, are you looking for a match?
Do you tell yourself in silence that you really are a catch?
When you step outside for a cigarette and you try to make her laugh
And then treat her to the doubles with the last of the overdraft

Just get another round in, we’re wasting precious time
No celibates, we’re celebrating living in our prime
Do you often sit and wonder, what happiness might be?
Will the lonely hearts of England stand and raise a glass with me

Old Father Time with his stacks of coins is propping-up the bar
He’s seen all kinds of faces, but he’s never been that far
He’s fragile and he’s bony, with skin as thin as silk
But he’d drink a pint of whiskey like you’d drink a pint of milk

When your song came on the jukebox, and you had to stand and jive
And it’s nine o’clock on a Friday night when you really come alive
Just lose your inhibitions, and forget about the truth
‘cause the one thing that you can’t get back is the freedom of your youth

And by twelve o’clock tomorrow, I doubt that we’ll recall
When the truth comes out and you start to shout and there’s nothing past these walls
And they’re snoozing by the telly if they choose to disagree
Will the lonely hearts of England stand and raise a glass with me

Have you spotted someone sexy, are you trying to catch their eye?
It’s a bloody expensive taxi if you stand around all shy
With a little introduction and a little bit of charm
You’ve a belly filled with butterflies and someone on your arm

I’ve told you many times before and I’ll tell you many more
You’re my greatest friend in the bloody world, and that is something sure
And I know I’ve never met you, but you’re such a bloody star
So let’s gather our possessions and we’ll find another bar

If it’s sunny or it’s snowing, it’s a ritual for life
If you’re looking for a girlfriend or you’re hiding from your wife
If you’re drinking on your pension, if you’re young and fancy free
Will the lonely hearts of England stand and raise a glass with me

Will the lonely hearts of England stand and raise a glass with me
Will the lonely hearts of England stand and raise a glass with me

When there’s nothing left for death to take away
You strain yourself to struggle through the day
You have the gift of isolation
Starved from sight or conversation
You’re paralysed, you’ve never been so scared
In the depths of your mind, where mercy is spared
You’re searching for a reason to be sober
Never been dry since that week in October

And you can’t find the comfort in conform
You just shudder, shelter from the norm
It’s all you know, oh

I’m so sick of this, I’m so tired of this
I’m so sick of this lowlife, fuck right off with the same old bullshit
I’m so sick of this, I’m so tired of this
I’m so sick of this goddamn lowlife that I inhabit

When the only words she’s giving you are cold
The memories you cling to are desperately old
Reluctantly hiding in resistance
Find yourself questioning your existence
And all you want is something more
But you can’t unlock your bedroom door
And she’d sooner sleep alone than stay
When there’s nothing left for death to take away

Destruction has found its full throttle
You can’t see past the bottom of the bottle
It’s all you know, oh

I’m so sick of this, I’m so tired of this
I’m so sick of this lowlife, fuck right off with the same old bullshit
I’m so sick of this, I’m so tired of this
I’m so sick of this goddamn lowlife that I inhabit

When there’s nothing left for death to take away
You strain yourself to drag from day to day
Eyes wide open, arms aloft
You scream at the world to fuck right off

When you can’t unlock your bedroom door
And there’s nothing left worth fighting for
You’ll find that bottle, find that vein
The deeper you get, the sweeter the pain
And you’re far too scared the find the truth
You miss the blanket of your youth
When you wake in the morning, you can’t bear to face
The reflection before you, that fucking disgrace
You step outside but no-one’s there
You hide behind an icy stare
When you slip to the shadows and sink to the street
Hands in your pockets, eyes on your feet
And you’ve never got money, it’s pissed up the wall
You run from your family, too scared to call
When your girlfriend ignores you, she doesn’t exist
You carry a warning, constantly pissed

And there’s nothing left, it drags you further
There’s nothing left, it drags you further
There’s nothing left, it drags you further
There’s nothing left to fade away

And there’s no existence, you can’t resist
No existence, you can’t resist
There’s no existence, you can’t resist, oh

There’s no existence, you can’t resist
No existence, you can’t resist
There’s no existence, you can’t resist, oh

I saw your picture yesterday
Is that a true reflection?
I’ve seen you slowly grow, and all the things that you tried to be
It seems so long since you portrayed
That image of perfection
Well at least that’s how they painted you for everyone to see

It looked like what you wanted and it felt like it was right
It felt like you were right at home as you slipped out of sight
Does it have to be like this?
Do it really have to be like this?

Well did it all go to plan?
Did it all go to plan?

I found a picture yesterday
It must be ten years old
Completely unaware of what was lying just around the bend
Rich in life, and words to say
You started to unfold
And you unravelled as you travelled, and it never seemed to end

It looked like what you wanted and it felt like it was right
It felt like you were right at home as you slipped out of sight
Does it have to be like this?
Do it really have to be like this?

Well did it all go to plan?
Did it all go to plan?

And I miss times when you would laugh, that twinkle in your eye would brighten-up my day
Yeah I miss the times when you would laugh, I wish that things were different every single day
And I miss times when you would laugh, that twinkle in your eye would brighten-up my day
Yeah I miss the times when you would laugh, I wish that things were different every single day

A few quiet drinks with the music and the laughter
It's festive and warm on a cold winter's night
Last orders at midnight, we'll stay 'til just after
And then make our way home, when we've been for a bite

I turned-off my phone as we sat in the corner
And it soon slips my mind as the evening progresses
My girlfriend's at home, but I chose not to warn her
I'm sure she won't mind all these girls in these dresses

A few quiet drinks, nothing more, nothing less
A few quiet drinks, oh with my friends...

The drink seems to work, and I'm starting to dance
There's a fine-looking blonde with a fine-looking smile
My mates go berserk when I turn-down the chance
She knows I'm quite fond, and she's known for a while

Now it's not very big, and it's not very clever
As the alcohol sinks to my stomach with a powerful force
The lads go outside, leaving us two together
There's no need to think; nature soon takes its course

A few quiet drinks, nothing more, nothing less
A few quiet drinks, oh with my friends...

And I wake-up in the morning and cradle my head
Oh there's feelings of sickness, feelings of dread
I wait for the phone call to settle my fate
Oh, I'll beg for forgiveness; too little, too late
'Cause you're the most valuable thing, that I've got
Just a few quiet drinks, nothing more, nothing less
But it cost, it cost me everything

A few quiet drinks with the music and the laughter
It's festive and warm on a cold winter's night