Joel Plaskett, Bill Plaskett - On Down the River lyrics

When I was young I would
Go down to the Thames
And watch the rusty freighters
Leaving on the tide
The crew all leaning on the
Rails along the side
Hey Lad, you want to hitch a ride? ​

I used to go there ‘cos I had to get away
From all the hustle of the Dagenham estate
The endless houses every one of them the same
The dirty diesel traffic roar
The river was an open door
Oh how it called me from
My bedroom down the hallway
Out through the doorway it led
Me down the road
Out of the city rolling to the sea free

Walk down the Heathway along
The Chequers Lane in past the motor works
Beneath the gantry crane
Between the slag heaps and
The rusty railway train
They’d never see me here again

On down the river I could wish myself away
On a rusty freighter bound
From London to Bombay
On down by the river I imagined I could be
Free

My father used to ask me
"Billy where you been?"
I’d tell him truthfully "I’ve been
Down the river Thames"
He knew that someday he would
Stand and watch me go

On down the river on down the river
On down the river i could wish myself away