Life on the line

I've seen you run along the tracks of the district line
But I'm dwelling on exactly where you live this time
You left the sunlight and the cats to find a place beneath the city
And to think that I was satisfied taking the micky
I used to watch telly and think what you should do
Is leave the London underground and go to Hollywood too
I'd enter stations and watch you simply scamper about
I'd get frustrated and ask is he a man or a mouse
What's he scared of? He could be a star if he wished to
Life could be sweet but you're a smartie living in the tube
The point of no returns up there, I know that now
But no one alive has ever quite managed to go back down
You can't prepare yourself for how absurd your life becomes
It's like a catapult, and you're the perfect size for one
But then that means you're small enough to have your backbone snapped
And that cheese ain't always gonna come attached to no trap

Hello, I've been here watching for some time
For some time
You're down below, you're living your life on the line
On the line
And although I'm not the first to see
It's more than obvious to me
That only in the dark are you gonna shine
Gonna shine

Part of me can't help seeing that it just seems tragic
Coz kids react to you as if they've just seen magic
If your chance to get up out of here comes you need to grab it
You're letting Stuart Little get the buzz and he's a graphic
You might see me panic coz they're blind
To me you're talented
But TFL disrupt your showtimes with these carriages
I'd rather stare at you among the busy and impatient
Then sit by a couple and overhear a conversation
Between the boy that doesn't know if he ought to laugh or feel hurt
And his girl, whose dad disowned her because of his arsenal shirt
That shits depressing and besides my own relationship's a tragedy
My girlfriend's cheating in my dreams and maybe in reality
So stay at home, my little friend
You're the only thing that shines in a tunnel with no lights at the ends
And yeah I know your fur's dirty everyday of your life
But the glitz and glamor does nothing but stain you inside

Hello, I've been here watching for some time
For some time
You're down below, you're living your life on the line
On the line
And although I'm not the first to see
It's more than obvious to me
That only in the dark are you gonna shine
Gonna shine

I'd hate for you to look back thinking things were so much better only yesterday
I wouldn't wanna be the one that made the whole thing escalate
If I found out that you'd tried to get to the top and fell
The quest for fame can send even the strongest minded off the rails
I guess I looked at what you're currently worth and thought he should have more
And assumed that you would dream but couldn't afford a bigger platform
It dawned on me as I got through the doors of a packed train
You ought to be the one that wasn't caught up in the rat race

Hello, I've been here watching for some time
For some time
You're down below, you're living your life on the line
On the line
And although I'm not the first to see
It's more than obvious to me
That only in the dark are you gonna shine
Gonna shine