That's only half of it
Oi, yeah

[Chorus]
No fairytales in East London
No fairytales inside the dungeon
All of those lairy tales under the truncheons
Babylon running us down all of a sudden
Babylon running us down all of a sudden

[Verse 1]
To be a young man (Oi)
Who would've thought this was planned
The tangibles that you have to fathom
I just made me a grand on a night on the rounds
They just caught one of the lads
I just see about 10 man just jump in a van
Cause they got one of em now
This is how the lads round here play a bit o' tag, yeah
Rude to a man so I can't hear no chat
Bought me a belt so my pants do not sag
No I don't take no phone calls from my dad
Don't wanna hear "how you, it's like we go back"
Fuck all that
Let my mate Josh out on the razmataz
Out of the court with a pair of electronic tags
All of the skeptics knew that we'd be back
​
[Chorus]
There's no fairytales in East London
No fairytales inside the dungeon
All of the lairy tales under the truncheon
Babylon running us down all of a sudden
Babylon running us down all of a sudden
[Post Chorus]
To be a young man [x2]
Oi, yo, oi

[Verse 2]
Climbing out of the window to hang out with crew
There grew my new family substitute
Sitting in exclusion in & out the school
That's where I first learned to break all the rules
Couldn't hear from dad 'cause he just flew the coop
All of our similarities make me puke
At times I can't manage so I smoke zoots
Trying be a man but I can't find the root
All those cries that fell upon your deaf ears
Me and the lads grew ourself with no peers
And I still hang with them man, I still clang beers
Two cans at Xmas, can't see a Reindeer
All those years that we rid out for attention
Chilling on the corner with a can and a Benson
There was no point 'cause I can't see your face
If only leaving your voice in cyberspace

[Chorus]
Fairytales in East London
No fairytales inside the dungeon
All of those lairy tales under the truncheon
Babylon running us down all of a sudden
Babylon running us down all of a sudden
[Post Chorus]
To be a young man
(To be a young man)
To be a young man
(So much to learn and so much to understand)
To be a young man
(Trying to gain the upper from the underhand)
Babylon running us down all of a sudden
Babylon running us down all of a sudden

​[Breakdown]
Daddy's voicemails...
Daddy's voicemails...
I started to stop listening to Daddy's voicemails
Feeling guilty
Came down to the HMP to see me
All them time meetings he's wondered "Where is he?"
How dare you come and play the victim
No avail

Daddy's voicemails...
Daddy's voicemails...
I started to stop listening to Daddy's voicemails
Feeling guilty
Came down to the HMP to see me
All them time meetings he's wondered "Where is he?"
Black boy failed
All of your moist tales
[Post Chorus]
To be a young man [x3]
Babylon
Babylon