Where blast furnaces once boldly stood, silhouettes against the sky,
Now there’s solar panelled housing: too good for you and I.
There’s electric cars a-plenty to burst your bank account
And mega stores that once were fields – but beauty doesn’t count.

Chorus:
And the only thing we’re making now is a mess of lots of lives
In a landscape full of loneliness where selfishness survives.

You’re not allowed to have a view, the planners blithely said
But you must respond in triplicate to the local plan instead.
Developers offer this and that, but rarely do deliver
And someone else is always blamed when dreams pollute the river.

Chorus

And those who simply can’t conform to ‘normal’ cannot speak
They’re the ‘app-less’ citizens whose bus may come next week.
Where will all the people work? Let’s pull the Green Belt tight
‘Cos no matter who you are it’s truly fight or flight.

Chorus