This song came about through listening to a news item on a mother and a daughter with learning disabilities who were harassed, abused and tormented relentlessly on the council estate where they lived. The story ended so tragically I’d prefer not to write about it here.

I’ve had the very good fortune to be invited to collaborate on this with Colab. Those Swedish men are just so phenomenally talented! Thank you, Mikael.

SAFE

verse
Shane’s a little bit lost in his head
Still he knows enough to be hurt by what’s said
He can’t forget those days of torment at school
Those big boys and girls, so frightening and cruel
His mum used to hold him close and cry in his hair
More shit through their letterbox; she’d sob, “It isn’t fair!”
chorus
Shane’s going on twenty but ten inside his head
Must be told to brush his teeth and takes toys to bed
Now he’s safe on the sofa, lives life through the TV screen
Yeah, he’s safe here inside, where no one can be mean ….
To Shane
verse
His mum said she’ll be away awhile, be a good kid
Another new ‘uncle’ said, “Listen, Shane, here’s five hundred quid.”
There’s the money on the table, Shane hasn’t touched a note
He’s running out of provisions on his make-believe sofa-boat
Through the net curtains he can see them burning a car
He turns up the telly, there’s a film on about aliens and stars
chorus
Shane’s going on twenty but ten inside his head
Must be told to brush his teeth and takes toys to bed
Now he’s safe on the sofa, lives life through the TV screen
Yeah, he’s safe here inside, where no one can be mean…
To Shane