The return of the gentleman

Heading down the Whyteleafe line

He has a kind of tranquility

Thinking of Germany

Or mentally he's already there

Other times he'd be looking South

To the ring roads and roundabouts

To Crawley where the rain is framed

On metal windowpanes

The Paris of the 60's

The Berlin of the 70's

The Stockholm of the 90's

His sweet municipal dream

In Whyteleafe

Such a lonely, lonely leaf

Station to station

Whyteleafe to Caterham

In Whyteleafe

Such a lonely, lonely leaf

Faber & Faber

Reading his paper

The return of the gentleman

Longing for the recent past

On the rail replacement bus

He'd never cause a fuss

Though it's ridiculous

At the staff Christmas party

In the dark Toby Carvery

He has to bite his tongue

While he's dreaming of duel nationality

The Paris of the 60's

The Berlin of the 70's

The Stockholm of the 90's

His sweet municipal dream

In Whyteleafe

Such a lonely, lonely leaf

Station to station

Whyteleafe to Caterham

In Whyteleafe

Or another lonely leaf

Faber & Faber

Reading his paper