THE UPS AND DOWNS IN THE LIFE OF Mr TOIL AND STRIFE
©Trev Teasdel March 1968 Coventry.
He’s sitting on his posterior
Feeling that he’s inferior
With a sudden burst of hysteria
He acts upon an impulse.
Chorus
One day he’s up and around
Next day you’ll find that he’s fallen down
He cannot keep his feet on the ground
The Ups and Downs in the life of Mr Toil and Strife.
The Ups and Downs in the life of Mr Toil and Strife.
He’s sitting on the railings
Contemplating his failings
Unable to reach compromises
With the problems that he so despises.
Chorus
To him his virtues are inconspicuous
He feels he is ridiculous
The grass is greener over yonder
Of that he loves to ponder.
On occasions his gusto tends to ascend
But on many things that does depend
Company and success
Inspire him more than words can express.
The figures of authority
Are the root of his inferiority
His hurt he tries to hide
As they tread upon his pride
And endless life of labour
An unsociable next door neighbour
A life of little variety
A life that’s full of anxiety.
Trev Teasdel –March 1968 – Coventry.
………….
In 1968 I met guitar player Nigel Clarke, my first contact with the Coventry music scene. We met at Coventry technical College and were both apprentice Electricians. I was writing lyrics and he had a Simon and Garfunkel style acoustic duo gigging around at the time. Nigel was very interested in psychology at the time and urged me to read books and magazine on it with a view to influencing some song lyrics. I bought one magazine with interesting stories that gave ideas for songs. Case studies about the stresses and strains of life. I wrote two from those kind of articles that resonated with Nigel. This one and Mrs Stress and Strain. Although I never heard it ,Nigel and his mate liked this one and set it to music and performed it at their gigs at places like St Osburgs in Coventry. later it was New Society that provided stimulus for songs.
