Once upon a time around the corner, down the road
There lived a man who played with danger, if that's true it never showed
We knew him then as Billy and we thought he had it all
He walked a funny shuffle and he spoke a Dublin drawl
He knew some shady characters and drove a Ford Capri
With a spoiler and a muffler, he dreamt of being the king
But he also knew his place in the Dublin Underworld
One miscalculation and his life could be unfurled.
Ducking and diving, selling drugs to make a score
Being careful of who's watching, every time you close the door
Trust is a commodity you simply can't afford
You pray for anonymity and hope to be ignored
Living on your nerves puffing spliffs to calm you down
You splash around the deep end trying hard not to drown
Another day of struggle, when will my time arrive
A hustle here, a hustle there, enough to stay alive
One day on Billy's corner, a car came up to him
The boss man wants to see ya, come on now jump right in
Summoned to headquarters didn't happen every day
But he sensed an opportunity, a chance to make it pay
As he walked up to the door a sense of dread came over him
Fuck, is this a trap? For a moment all looked grim
He was really nothing special, just a face on the street
Well how you doing Billy? Now won't you take a seat
Ducking and diving, selling drugs to make a score
Being careful of who's watching, every time you close the door
Trust is a commodity you simply can't afford
You pray for anonymity and hope to be ignored
You tell your kids you love them, you do it all for them
It's no life for your son, maybe once but that was then
You know that life's a gamble and it's you going round the track
You get a job, you take it. There is no going back!
I'll make it worth your while and you'll see a nice big wedge
You're my man on this project, will you walk up to that ledge?
John you fucking know it, have I ever let you down?
Well good man Billy Toots, you're some man to have around
Had he listened to his instincts, got out while he could
Cos something didn't feel right, didn't feel good
But the allure of being a someone had him floating through the air
As the the danger circled round, he didn't see it, didn't care
The job was oh so simple, drive a man up to the Hills
That's when he got all nervous, cold sweats, had the chills
This man was paying a debt, him and John the best of friends
The writing on the wall for Billy, this is how it ends
You know that job out west, that stuff you his away?
Well we know that some was missing and it's you that's got to pay
And he was pushed into the hole, he knew he'd soon be dead
But he held on to his dream as those bullets hit his head.
Ducking and diving, selling drugs to make a score
Being careful of who's watching, every time you close the door
Trust is a commodity you simply can't afford
You pray for anonymity and hope to be ignored
He'd made some powerful enemies, pissed off a lot of men
The thing about this game of theirs, it gets you in the end
So if you're tempted by an offer, to live the life you crave
Remember Billy Toots as he lies there in his grave.
