"The City" lyrics
This city never sleeps
I hear the people walk by when it's late
Sirens bleed through my windowsill
I can't close my eyes
Don't control what I'm into
This tower is alive
The lights that blind keep me awake
My hood up and lace untied
Sleep fills my mind
Don't control what I'm into
London calls me a stranger
A traveler
This is now my home, my home
I'm burning on the back street
Stuck here sitting in the backseat
I'm blazing on the street
What I do isn't up to you
And if the city never sleeps
Then that makes two
The pavement is my friend
Hey, and it will take me where I need to go
I find it trips me up
And puts me down
This is not what I'm used to
The shop across the road
Fulfills my needs and gives me company
When I need it
Voices speak through my walls
I don't think I'm gonna make it
Past tomorrow
London calls me a stranger
A traveler
This is now my home, my home
I'm burning on the back street
Stuck here sitting in the backseat
I'm blazing on the street
What I do isn't up to you
And if the city never sleeps
Then that makes two
And my lungs hurt
And my ears bled
With the sound of the city life
Echoed in my head
Do I need this to keep me alive?
The traffic stops and starts
But I need to move along
I'm from a city where the rain won't sleep
Pollution in the air matches that on the street
The black smoke
Gets your head into a muddle like
Walking into elephants
Syringes in a puddle like
I was a country boy when I moved out
Grew up too fast for my family to find out
Now I try to stop my music running into nose dives
Can't resort to arrogance
With white lies
This city wants to raise me
But I can't help but see just
How this dark city changed me
It's all the same see
Music is my life but
Now I try to fight
Whatever I need to hide from
North, South, East, West
London's my home now
Knees weak but we never slow down
Now I start to do my music properly
I'll stay away from all the negative shit
That will follow me
London calls me a stranger
This is not my home, home
I'm burning on the back street
Stuck here sitting in the backseat
I'm blazing on the street
What I do isn't up to you
And if the city never sleeps
Then that makes two
I hear the people walk by when it's late
Sirens bleed through my windowsill
I can't close my eyes
Don't control what I'm into
This tower is alive
The lights that blind keep me awake
My hood up and lace untied
Sleep fills my mind
Don't control what I'm into
London calls me a stranger
A traveler
This is now my home, my home
I'm burning on the back street
Stuck here sitting in the backseat
I'm blazing on the street
What I do isn't up to you
And if the city never sleeps
Then that makes two
The pavement is my friend
Hey, and it will take me where I need to go
I find it trips me up
And puts me down
This is not what I'm used to
The shop across the road
Fulfills my needs and gives me company
When I need it
Voices speak through my walls
I don't think I'm gonna make it
Past tomorrow
London calls me a stranger
A traveler
This is now my home, my home
I'm burning on the back street
Stuck here sitting in the backseat
I'm blazing on the street
What I do isn't up to you
And if the city never sleeps
Then that makes two
And my lungs hurt
And my ears bled
With the sound of the city life
Echoed in my head
Do I need this to keep me alive?
The traffic stops and starts
But I need to move along
I'm from a city where the rain won't sleep
Pollution in the air matches that on the street
The black smoke
Gets your head into a muddle like
Walking into elephants
Syringes in a puddle like
I was a country boy when I moved out
Grew up too fast for my family to find out
Now I try to stop my music running into nose dives
Can't resort to arrogance
With white lies
This city wants to raise me
But I can't help but see just
How this dark city changed me
It's all the same see
Music is my life but
Now I try to fight
Whatever I need to hide from
North, South, East, West
London's my home now
Knees weak but we never slow down
Now I start to do my music properly
I'll stay away from all the negative shit
That will follow me
London calls me a stranger
This is not my home, home
I'm burning on the back street
Stuck here sitting in the backseat
I'm blazing on the street
What I do isn't up to you
And if the city never sleeps
Then that makes two
Thanks to Will Daniels for correcting these lyrics.
Writer(s): Ed Sheeran, Jake Nathan Gosling
