HALF TEN OUTSIDE THE OFFY [Intro] Alright. Same place then? Yeah. Thought so. [Verse 1] Half ten outside the offy, Connor's got a tenner and a plan, Says he knows a lad who's having people round, But he doesn't know the lad. Leanne's in a coat she nicked off her sister, Freezing but she won't admit, And Danny's trying to light a bent cigarette With a lighter that won't bloody click. There's a Corsa doing laps of the precinct, Same three lads, same bassline loud, Someone's mum is shouting from a bedroom window, "Keep it down!" So we all get louder now. [Pre-Chorus] And nobody's going home yet, There's nowhere else to be, We've got six warm cans between us And tomorrow comes for free. [Chorus] So we'll stay out under streetlights, Talking shit like we know it all, Kicking stones across the car park, Writing names across the wall. We're skint, we're cold, we're going nowhere, But tonight we couldn't care less, Half ten outside the offy— King and queen of a right old mess. [Verse 2] By eleven Connor's plan has fallen through, Apparently the party's "family only", So we're walking down behind the garages, Where the council never fixed the light. Leanne says she's moving down to London, Danny says, "Yeah, course you are," She says, "At least I'm trying to get somewhere," Then nobody speaks for half a yard. There's a blue light crawling round the corner, So Connor drops his can behind a bin, Copper slows and looks us over, We look innocent as sin. [Pre-Chorus] And nobody's going home yet, Though we've nowhere left to go, Danny says, "Pub?" We're seventeen. So that's obviously a no. [Chorus] So we'll stay out under streetlights, Talking shit like we know it all, Kicking stones across the car park, Writing names across the wall. We're skint, we're cold, we're going nowhere, But tonight we couldn't care less, Half ten outside the offy— King and queen of a right old mess. [Bridge] Quarter past twelve at the bus stop, Last one's gone ten minutes back, Leanne's gone quiet, staring at her trainers, Connor's lying on his back. Danny says his dad's kicked off again, Then laughs like it were just a joke, And for once nobody takes the piss, We just stand there in the smoke. Funny how you talk about forever When you're scared of next July, Like this place is all you'll ever know But you're desperate not to say why. [Guitar Break] [Verse 3] One by one the windows all go dark, The estate finally shuts its mouth, Connor gets a lift off someone's brother, Danny starts heading south. Me and Leanne walk towards the crossing, She says, "You reckon we'll get out?" I say, "Yeah, obviously." Far too quickly. She laughs. "Thought you'd say that." Then she turns towards her street, Hands buried in her sleeves, Says, "Same time tomorrow?" Yeah. Probably. [Final Chorus] We'll be back out under streetlights, Talking shit like we know it all, Kicking stones across the car park, Still pretending we won't fall. We're skint, we're cold, we're going somewhere— Even if we don't know where yet, Half ten outside the offy, Same old faces, same old mess. And one day we'll swear we hated it, Every wall and every door— But we'll still remember half ten When we don't live here anymore. [Outro] Same place tomorrow? Yeah. Half ten.
