Where's the Welcome

Lyrics

[Verse 1] At Dover in the morning, the gulls wheel overhead, A rubber boat comes drifting in, the tide has turned its head. A man steps onto English ground, with salt upon his coat, And says, “They told us there’s a room, some help to stay afloat.” [Chorus] Oh, where’s the welcome, where’s the key? Who promised you a house for free? A room, a meal, a hand to start— A crowded town with a generous heart. Oh, where’s the promise, who made the claim? The people here all ask the same. Across the water, hope held tight— Now tell us what is fair and right. [Verse 2] The papers say one thing or two, the rumours say much more, A family waits in borrowed coats beside the council door. The clerk looks down the list again, the queue winds round the block, While every neighbour wonders when the whole thing’s going to stop. [Chorus] Oh, where’s the welcome, where’s the key? Who promised you a house for free? A room, a meal, a hand to start— A crowded town with a generous heart. Oh, where’s the promise, who made the claim? The people here all ask the same. Across the water, hope held tight— Now tell us what is fair and right. [Bridge] A rumour can run faster than a boat across the foam, A promise isn’t policy, and no one knows their home. So ask the ones who set the rules, and ask them to be clear: Make room for truth and decency, and answer those who’re here. [Final Chorus] Oh, where’s the welcome, where’s the key? Who promised you a house for free? A room, a meal, a hand to start— A crowded town with a generous heart. Oh, hear the question, face the claim, Let facts and fairness share the frame. Across the water, hope held tight— Now tell us what is fair and right. [Outro] Now tell us what is fair and right.