Out on the east side from the Don to the Tyne, they've cleared all the works away
Gone are the factories, the mills and the mines, only the scars remain
Where is the alehouse, the dram shop, the terrace and street' scene
They've sacrificed a way of life to build a shoppers' dream
The shipyards stand idle by the Tyne and Gordie's out of work
They've mechanized the plow and the navvy computerized the clerk
They've DIYed the building trade and closed the steel plants down
We've sacrificed a way of life to build this bargain town
In bargain town you can buy anything but can't get British made
Gone are the days when you told your kids 'do well at school and get a trade
Where are the skills and the craftsmen, replaced by a government' scheme
We've sacrificed a way of life to build a shoppers' dream
Shoppers browse down a marble piazza where money grows on trees
Lovers throw three coins in a fountain whilst giants pour crucible steel
Out of the ruins grew this Venice with a skyline for all to see
We've sacrificed a way of life to build a shoppers' dream
People produce and people consume they both go side by side
If people don't work then people can't buy that's a simple fact of life
It's not just a regular wage slip but a future for all to see
We've sacrificed a way of life to build a shoppers' dream
Out of the ruins grew this Venice with a skyline for all to see
We've sacrificed a way of life to build a shoppers' dream
At Meadowhall they've built a dream replacing all the things there'd been
And now our kids can browse and lurk, they're selling everything but work