The element heats the air
But it's still damp, cold and bare
You must wear
Another layer
In the shadow of an empire
The factory 'lathe
Can be heard in the arcade
Or stall owners who trade
Every grain must be weighed
In the shadow of an empire
The painted lady
By the little flower' hall
Shivers sadly, shoulders in shawl
Hoping the kerb will crawl
Through the shadow of an empire
We are cast in a role
Like the fish are in a shoal
Leap the 'weir or forever toll
In the shadow of an empire
The filament shattered and broke
The fusebox it went up in smoke
Leave the premises so not to choke
On the shadow of an empire
On the sawdust, the circus band
Are heard rehearsing on the strand
By the lovers who understand
Every note must be planned
In the shadow of an empire
The pupil waves a seagull feather
The sea-salt eats his shoes of leather
There's been a turn in the weather
In the shadow of an empire
The newborn in the hammock rocks
Below a bolted sky that unlocks
For the departing of the flocks
From the shadow of an empire
God loves a trier, an articulate liar
The auctioneer makes it clear
And booms "Can you bid any higher
Or is the gentleman at the back a buyer"
In the shadow of an empire