[Intro] (spoken, ad-libs) (Ayy) Council block shit… 90s Essex, grey skies, red bricks… Still had laughs, still had beef… But fuck me, it weren’t easy. (Hmm) [Verse 1] Grew up where the paint chips off the fuckin’ walls, Dad graftin’ nights, mum cryin’ in the halls, Flat cold as fuck, pipes bang in the dark, Dreamin’ of a whip just to leave this park. After school telly — Fun House, Blue Peter, same shit, Game Boy under quilt, pray the batteries don’t quit, Craigie lost fam, moved out — no warnin’, New yout’ Jamal turned up by the mornin’. Couple weeks in, we was movin’ like bros, Duckin’ fence panels, bangin’ ball in our clothes, Estate was a cage but the mandem loose, Shoutin’ “fuck the fence” when the ball got boost. [Hook] We had blocks, we had pain, Fags in the rain, bare jokes in the game, Fights on the green, first girls, heartbreak, 90s in the ends — bruv, there’s nothin’ the same. (Yeah) Blocks, we had pain, Battered old creps, fuck brand names, Loss after loss, but we kept that flame, Still the best damn time I can name. [Verse 2] Kelly had scrunchies, smelled like Impulse spray, Shared my Walkman, thought she’d stay, Two weeks later, lipsin’ Dean by the bins, I’m back on Streets of Rage — fuck losin’ again. School beef daily — Ms. Clark was a witch, Said “life don’t care if you’re broke or rich,” But in the yard, we’re playin’ Wembley Doubles, Battered old ball, still causin’ trouble. Mum worked doubles just to keep that leccy, Dad fixed motors, hands black, all sweaty, Didn’t have shit but we built from scraps, Ramps in the park from old wood slaps. [Hook] We had blocks, we had pain, Fags in the rain, bare jokes in the game, Fights on the green, first girls, heartbreak, 90s in the ends — bruv, there’s nothin’ the same. (Yeah) Blocks, we had pain, Battered old creps, fuck brand names, Loss after loss, but we kept that flame, Still the best damn time I can name. [Bridge] (spoken, beat drop) Council block taught me to graft, taught me scrap, Taught me how to take a fuckin’ slap and give it back. Mates move on, man switch sides, But the smell of chip shop grease never dies. [Verse 3] By sixteen, seen more deaths than birthdays, Flats go quiet, heard sirens in the worst ways, Sarah went uni, Lee joined the Army, Jamal got nicked — still writes calm to me. We took hits, still stood on our feet, Kept laughin’ even when there weren’t nothin’ to eat, Now I see new youts runnin’ them same backstreets, Same hunger burnin’ with the same cold beats. I know the graft, I know the pain, But I’d still go back if I could run that lane, 90s Essex, council life raw, Those days built me — can’t ask for more. [Hook] We had blocks, we had pain, Fags in the rain, bare jokes in the game, Fights on the green, first girls, heartbreak, 90s in the ends — bruv, there’s nothin’ the same. (Yeah) Blocks, we had pain, Battered old creps, fuck brand names, Loss after loss, but we kept that flame, Still the best damn time I can name. [Outro] (fade-out ad-libs) Council made me… Essex raised me… Blocks and pain… but still we came up. (Fuckin’ real talk)
