Lyrics:

[Verse 1]
He said I knew him and I knew I did
But the face didn’t ring any bells
There was something about the way he was standing
All thunderbolt hair and gravy boat shoes
And an old school tie I didn’t notice 'til later
But It all came back when he took it off
There were ten of them holding me down in the trough
They took it in turns to
Use my head as a football
Oh, I was only nine and you were seventeen
When you gave me cancer of the dreams
I was only nine but I didn’t cry
I was invincible, it’s written on the tie
They make ‘em strong those ties
They make ‘em strong those ties
[Verse 2]
I said: 'I thought you were dead'
He said: 'I wish I was
On days like this I really wish I was
And here’s something you might want to celebrate now
I’m living in a hole on the sink estate
And I know you’re thinking, great
He got what he deserved
But if you ever met my wife you’d know
I was worth something to somebody (Briefly)
‘Til she read my mind and all she found
Was the screamy bit in Ghost Town by The Specials'

[Chorus]
Hooligan Crane
Black hole in the heart of the neighbourhood
Hooligan Crane
Lashing out at everything warm and good
But it’s not warm
And it’s not good
And it’s not fair

[Verse 3]
Oh, it took him an hour to get to the top
Nobody tried to make him stop
And the crowd outside the burger shop
Were lovin’ it
And as the streets filled up with gutter press
A lowlife hack got his old address
And went looking for a way to turn his own mess
Into money, yeah
And he found this old notebook under a bed
Written by a young boy living in dread
Of the gang of men called 'The Invincibles'
It said how they used to drag him back
And beat him ‘til the sky turned black
While hummin’ along to Ghost Town by The Specials
They make ‘em strong those ties
They make ‘em strong those ties
[Verse 4]
Then he lost it (He lost it)
He swung the arm of the crane round
Into the old school buildings
And he killed some important people
Who were on their way into London (London)
And nobody saw it coming
‘Cause nobody ever does

[Chorus]
Hooligan Crane
Black hole in the heart of the neighbourhood
Hooligan Crane
Lashing out at everything warm and good
But it’s not warm
And it’s not good
And it’s not fair

[Bridge]
I’m not afraid of dyin’
You know it
You know it’s sad
People like us
We’re not afraid of dyin’
You know it
You know all good things are equally bad
Maybe we should
But we’re not afraid of dyin’
You know it
You know all good things are equally bad
I’m afraid of comin’ back
[Verse 5]
Then he stepped back onto the arm of the crane
He got tangled up in some loose chain
And for a second it looked like he was playing football
Then he smiled at me and dropped about
Twenty feet ‘til the chain ran out
And the old school tie
Snapped his neck like a wishbone
And there’s a 2 Tone revival on Jools tonight
Think I’ll stay in and skank away the poison
‘Cause I knew what he was thinking
When he hit the sky
“I’m invincible, it’s written on the tie”
But not this time, prick
They make ‘em strong those ties
They make ‘em strong those ties
They make ‘em strong those ties
They make ‘em strong those ties

[Chorus]
(They make ‘em strong those ties)
Hooligan Crane
(They make ‘em strong those ties)
Black hole in the heart of the neighbourhood
(They make ‘em strong those ties)
Hooligan Crane
(They make ‘em strong those ties)
Lashing out at everything warm and good
(They make ‘em strong those ties)
But it’s not warm
And it’s not good
(They make ‘em strong those ties)
And it’s not fair

[Outro]
No it’s not warm (You know it)
And it’s not good (You know it's sad)
And it’s not fair (You know all good things are equally bad)
Oh it’s not warm (You know it)
And it’s not good (You know it's sad)
And it’s not fair (You know all good things are equally bad)
Oh it’s not warm (You know it)
And it’s not good (You know it's sad)
And it’s not fair (You know all good things are equally bad)
No it’s not warm (You know it)
And it’s not good (You know it's sad)
And it’s not fair (You know all good things are equally bad)