Northampton’s Child

[Verse 1]
Northampton General, 1994
Mixed-race baby born
Christmas well a week before
Mum's 16, family's poor
Family's all she needs
How they gonna show her the door?
Babyfather's mum any room at the inn
Military road open doors welcome in
Charlotte's born, mum's 17
Search for Rhys, where's he been?
All alone with two kids
Got a flat from the council
Spring Boroughs near the newsies
Say that she's using carrying a pram
"Son, wait here, I'll get you a juice quick"
Three flights and she gotta do two trips
No electric back to the newsies housing association moving
Fam to the Eastern District, Lings
Number 6 near the garages
Fell in love with a drug dealer
Picked us up in a limousine
I remember lights
Like a movie scene
Took mum to dazzling heights
Where she deserves to be

[Chorus]
Only queen lays me up and kept me clean
Tell me right even when I wronged
Wiped my arse and changed nappies
Taught me time we made a clock
12-hour shifts all week
Tell me it never stops
12-hour shifts all week
Only queen raised me up and kept me clean
Tell me right even when I wronged
Wiped my arse and changed nappies
Taught me time we made a clock
12-hour shifts all week
Tell me it never stops
12-hour shifts

[Verse 2]
Loyalty's royalty that shit is priceless
Mum took loans to make her home look nice
Worked to the bone to put food on her side
Clothes on the back and the shoes that we like
Only one there when her brother's on pipe
Only one who cared and dealt with that shite
Stepdad cheating before my brother died
He had no reason the best woman in his life
When my brother was born it was hospital visits
Two G's alike you know muscular dystrophy
Shower cuddles and kisses
Up to Oxford to get told in two weeks he ain't living
When he died we moved up to a village
It was Hibaldstow, Scunthorpe one Christmas
Then it's back to North, what's the difference?
Stepdad on drugs, I think that he's lost his mind
Three crates a night, sipping tinnies, now someone's dying
I know we're all angry too
What's mum done to you?
You're lucky I'm not as big as you
I'll punch you 'til my hands turn blue
Kicked us out now we living at Tasha's
In her living room
Funny how good vibes turn the room to a palace
Dreams come true
Mum told us, "kids
Just imagine do anything as long as you do it with passion"
Have everything no way I can pay you back
I just hope I can make you proud
I'm sorry for the times I was bad
Acting like a spoilt child
You're the strongest person I know
Made us happy even when you felt down
Always other people first
But I'm thinking for you right now

[Outro]
Only queen
Raised me up and kept me clean
Told me right even when I'm wrong