Lyrics Calling England Home - Anthony Joseph
Black
and
been
here
since
1949
West
London
jaw
grind,
'Take
it
e-asy'
We
saw
him
You
saw
him
Walking
along
the
canal
last
night
And
what
a
joy
to
buck
up
upon
him
At
the
carnival
today
To
hear
him
speak
about
The
dances
and
the
bands
At
the
Paramount
The
spots
you
couldn't
mix
With
white
in,
or
dance
in
Remembering
...
London.
How
he
been
slapped
so
hard
With
the
lash
Sam
Selvon
say
And
it
take
him
60
years
Before
he
could
call
England
'Home'
He
musta
come
here
in
black
and
white,
1959
Time
longer
than
twine
So
long
ago
he
don't
Remember
being
a
child,
Just
a
suit
and
steamer
trunk
Upon
a
ship
which
took
A
good
six
weeks
to
cross.
We
sat
at
his
kitchen
table
And
I
filmed
him
on
the
fly
But
he
wasn't
saying
much
-
At
least
nothing
I
could
put
in
a
poem.
Instead
he
showed
me
Photographs
- with
the
dashiki
and
the
fez,
With
Michael
X
at
the
Ambience.
Outside
the
night
came
in
And
he
had
moved
so
far
away
From
calling
England
'Home
'
I've
lived
here
longer
than
home,
since
1989.
Remember
Harlesden
in
the
spring
time.
I
used
to
walk
from
Cricklewood
To
Marylebone
High
Street
To
cut
up
meat
to
punch
out
dough.
I
was
never
asked
to
wait
tables
Or
to
serve
scones
and
coffee.
I
worked
in
the
basement
But
I
learned
to
tie
my
apron
In
a
way
that
retained
some
dignity
And
in
my
first
summer
above
the
corner
shop
I
listened
to
rare
groove
on
pirate
radio.
I
was
flung
so
far
from
any
notion
of
nation
How
long
do
you
have
to
live
in
a
place
Before
you
can
call
it
'Home'?
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