I never was a violent man
Said the man in the bar with his head in his hands
Trying his best to understand the cause of his dismay
But years of gin have broken him
And left him cold where he fitted in
It's too late to turn around and find another way

And the laughs in the late night lock-in
Have faded away when he gets in
The girl from fifteen years ago
Has packed and gone away

That's never how it used to be
What happened to all that energy
You took too many liberties, and I'm tired of being afraid
So after the fight she took flight
Hiding swollen eyes and a wounded pride
The best years of her life denied, sold for liquid shares

And the laughs in the late night lock-in
Have faded away when he gets in
The girl from fifteen years ago
Has packed and gone away

The victims of this world, are advertised on posters
A beach and a pretty girl, if you just take this potion
It's another week 'til his cheque comes through
He's got a fiver left now to spend on food
But the doors of the bars are open, and he breaks another rule
He sits on the stool that bears his name
His favourite glass is called the same
And he's never kept waiting, 'cause he pays the landlord's wage
And the laughs in the late night lock-in
Have faded away when he gets in
The girl from fifteen years ago
Has packed and gone away

The laughs in the late night lock-in
Have faded away when he gets in
The girl from fifteen years ago
Has packed and gone away