Pete Atkin sings
Ballad Of An Upstairs Window

words and music by Pete Atkin,
from Live Libel

[Much more at www.peteatkin.com]

LYRIC:

I was going to the pictures with my girl at 7.30,
          got there first and started queueing on my own
By 9.15 she still had not arrived and so I walked around
          the block and then I thought I'd telephone

I let the phone keep ringing for ten minutes perhaps a quarter
          of an hour then concluded she's not home
I thought I'd walk around the block again but soon got fed up
          wandering aimlessly around all on my own

It was then the thought occurred to me she might have been there
          all the time just let the phone keep ringing on its own
In order that I might be led to think that she'd gone out
          or for some other reason wasn't there at home

Now if for any reason this should prove to be the case I
          couldn't help but wonder what the cause might be
Perhaps her budgie Goldie had escaped out of the window
          but in any case I thought I'd go and see

Well the truth is by the time I'd caught the bus down at the corner
          and arrived the time was nearly half-past ten
So in order that I shouldn't seem a fool I went into the phone
          box just outside her house and phoned again

Just as I dialled the number I perceived an upstairs window in her
          house become illumined by a light
Immediately I replaced the receiver on the bracket
          and once more I stepped outside into the night

Now I knew her mum and dad had gone to Scotland for the weekend
          and that she was in the house all on her own
So I presumed it was her brother's motorbike what stood outside
          the gate although it's eighteen months since he left home

I felt compelled to cogitate on what was most appropriate
          in circumstances previously unknown
I reasoned that if she felt tired she wouldn't thank me if I woke
          her up and so I caught the bus back home