The places I played in my childhood

Will soon be green no more.

Where I danced and ran and sang my songs

There will be houses by the score.

Where butterflies played and frogs hopped

And dragonflies danced on the breeze.

There’ll be tarmac roads and lampposts

There won’t even be any trees.

The clear blue water of the canal

Will soon turn as black as the night.

The king fisher’s call will be heard no more.

Just the sound of drunken men as they fight.

Now the places I walked with my Nan when a boy

Will be lost into time evermore

The path that we walked that led up to the farm

Will now lead you to someone’s front door.

People must have homes I hear them say

Well up to a point this is true.

But why should they spoil the beauty of  torfaen