Frank Tovey - Doing Time lyrics

The sailor turned to alcohol When he left the raging sea The parachutist played the turf When he lost his wings And the featherweight boxer Won his last trophy I hope he doesn't turn to crime But when he asked me what I do I said I'm only doing time The old woman's seen her family go But she still works the sewing machine The housewife's eternal battle with dirt Keeping other people's houses clean The young mother with another on the way Says she's doing fine But when she enquires about my life I say I'm only doing time My wife goes out to work every day Unemployed I stay at home Our children have all done well at school And oh my how they have grown One day one asked me what I do While making up a rhyme And I had to turn around And explain to them Why I'm doing time I've heard it often said to me You gotta suffer for your art By people who have well-paid jobs I don't see them living that part And you'll never know What I have suffered Here in this cell of mine Masterpieces I've created none But i´m still doing time Your thoughts are your Only source of joy And your only source of pain Outside the sun is beating down In here it's started to rain Here comes the hungry parasite Devouring his own mind Your corrosive thoughts chase you Round the room When you're doing time The prisoner sits in a crowded cell And dwells upon his deeds Good or bad in changing them He never will succeed Some say they should bring back Capital punishment For such serious crimes I think many people Would prefer to hang Than waste away doing time I know this isn't Wormwood Scrubs Nor is it Holloway But since my job's been Given the rub It might as well be that way At the age of fifty-five what Chance is there For me to tow the line? Too old to work, too young to retire I'm just doing time And though I've only lived my life Watching the rise and fall of the sun At least I can say I spent my time Not exploiting anyone And when I'm waiting in Purgatory For St. Peter to give the sign It doesn't matter if it's Heaven or Hell I'll spend eternity doing time