Tom Robinson Band - Portobello Terrace lyrics

Portobello Terrace standing empty Battened, with corrugated iron Broken bottles in the basement Even the stinging nettles die Unfit for human habitation Daylight showing through the roofs Waiting for council renovation Years since tenants were removed Can't rent a room for love nor money Council waiting list was 7 years Rather than cardboard on a pavement One dark night we broke in here A week of work was all it needed To fit in doors and fill the frames We patched the damp and fixed the windows Settled in to stake our claim We woke up one Sunday morning Bailiffs breaking down the doors Council clerks, police and news men Watching the squatters face the law They threw our bedding out the windows Hurled our clothes across the floor The place was gutted top to bottom And barricaded up once more Portobello Terrace standing empty Battened with corrugated iron Broken bottles in the basement Mattresses and chicken wire alight Unfit for human habitation Only one house has a roof Waiting for council demolition Years since squatters were removed