Soap Opera - Harvey Andrews

On the bus to school again

Still no money for a car

How long ago the day they said

«Teach and you’ll go far»?

But pretty little girl, pretty little girl, pretty little girl

Don’t sit next to me

Pretty little girl, pretty little girl, pretty little girl

Don’t sit next to me

Twenty years of teaching boys

Ink and think and incantation

Fifteen empty years with Mary

Talk and chalk and registration

Pretty little girl, pretty little girl, pretty little girl

Don’t sit next to me

Pretty little girl, pretty little girl, pretty little girl

Don’t sit next to me

Things could have been different for us

If we could have had a child

It’s far too long since Mary laughed

Far too long since Mary smiled

And pretty little girl, pretty little girl, pretty little girl

Don’t sit next to me

Pretty little girl, pretty little girl, pretty little girl

Don’t sit next to me

Only a hand upon your knee, child

I remember her grace and charm

Only a hand upon your knee, child

Once she had your grace and charm

There’s no need to shout and scream, child

I did not mean any harm

There’s no need to shout and scream, child

I did not mean any harm

No harm, no harm, no harm, no harm

«The filthy swine» the mother raved

As the detective filled the form

«Perverted, stinking and depraved

I’ll make him wish he’d stayed unborn

I’ll make him wish he’s stayed unborn»

«A sorry story» said the judge

«Your punishment must be your shame

But it will be much different

If you ever do this thing again»

«A sorry story» said the judge

«Your punishment must be your shame

But it will be much different

If you ever do this thing again

Again, again, again»

One mistake, one slip only

Take the threads and start again

On your own now, twice as lonely

Twenty years of work in vain

Take the threads and start again

Take the threads and start again

Postman bringing letters pauses as the door

«It's him, I read it in the papers

Should have got ten years or more»

Hands the letter over without a word or a smile

«Thank God, the monster never got his hands upon my child

Thank God, the monster never got his hands upon my child»

«The committee regrets that your contract is cancelled

We think you should seek an appointment elsewhere

We shall, of course, have to put down on your record

The details of this unhappy affair

Seek an appointment elsewhere, this unhappy affair

Seek an appointment elsewhere, this unhappy affair»

On the bus to work again

With the gang upon the site

Shift the bricks and mix the concrete

Maybe I can sleep tonight

But pretty little girl, pretty little girl, pretty little girl

Don’t sit next to me

Pretty little girl, pretty little girl, pretty little girl

Don’t sit next to me

And it will be much different if you ever do this thing again

Yes, it will be much different if you ever do this thing again

Again, again, again, again