The Twilight Home

The musical disorder of
The brass band playing by the war memorial
Vibrates against the church bell ringing
Closing of the day
As evening shadows lengthen
Daylight slowly fails
And evening prayers disperse 
Into the heavens

In the Twilight Home
It's time to light the lanterns
And retire alone
As under the drunken moonlight

The resident deal playing cards
On easi-wipe white plastic garden furniture
Underneath a gaily coloured
Pale blue umbrella
Then setting aside more serious
Disorder of the mind
They go inside and light
The welcome lanterns

In the Twilight Home
It's time to light the lanterns
And neither die alone
Or under the drunken moonlight

Trumpets sound a fanfare in
The darkness of a varnished brown interior
Medicinally dis-harmonised
In a Valium serenade
As shadows of evening lengthen
And daylight slowly fails
The village band play on
Raggedy and tuneless

And in the Twilight Home
It's time to light the lanterns
And neither die alone
Or under the drunken moonlight
In the Twilight Home...

words and music by Eric Goulden (Firesongs)