Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day 
You fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way 
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town 
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way 

Tired of lying in the sunshine 
Staying home to watch the rain 
And you are young and life is long 
And there is time to kill today 
And then one day you find 
Ten years have got behind you 
No one told you when to run 
You missed the starting gun 

And you run, and you run to catch up with the sun, but it's sinking 
Racing around to come up behind you again 
The sun is the same in a relative way, but you're older 
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death 

Every year is getting shorter 
Never seem to find the time 
Plans that either come to nought 
Or half a page of scribbled lines 
Hanging on in quiet desparation is the English way 
The time is gone 
The song is over 
Thought I'd something more to say 

Home, home again 
I like to be here when I can 
When I come home cold and tired 
It's good to warm my bones beside the fire 
Far away across the field 
The tolling of the iron bell 
Calls the faithful to their knees 
To hear the softly spoken magic spells