You can tell me your troubles I’ll listen for free My regulars trust me, it seems You can come and see Uncle to get through the week leave your pledges with me to redeem Some folk sell their bodies for ten bob a go Politicians go pawning their souls Which doesn’t make me look too bad, don’t you know me, with my heart full of holes All my yesterdays broken a watch with no face all battered and old Bits of the movement all over the place and a heart full of holes A heart full of holes A heart full of holes Brass knuckles and banjos are out on the town at the knees-up in Teddy Boys’ Row The gold block and tackle tells the time upside down Rock n’ roll - well, I don’t know Dead people’s wedding gifts walk out the door A clarinet squeals to be free Accordions hop from the shelves to the floor - start playing their polkas to me There’s a ringing of bells a dunderhead’s curse Fingers are pointing at you And you take work in hell and be glad it’s not worse and you get to the back of the queue Handcuffs and hunting knives clang on the bars Air pistols shoot out the lights I’ve a whole Wailing Wall of electric guitars could shatter the windows down Brick Lane tonight If one of us dies, love I think I’ll retire see my boys and my beautiful girls A Garden of Eden no gates or barbed wire who knows, maybe gates made of pearls Well, if we go to heaven and some say we don’t but if there’s a reckoning day please God, I’ll see you and maybe I won’t I’ve a bag packed to go either way
Redeeming your pledge, dear I’ll keep it for you It’s not going to go anywhere But your soul, your soul that is not what I do There’s not a lot I can do there I remember the officer’s watch in my hand: ‘Repair it or die’ I was told It’s a wonder to me - I still don’t understand why I ever survived to be old with a heart full of holes A heart full of holes A heart full of holes