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the ghost of a demolished cinema next to an ancient fading milk bar, a corner store run by a Vietnamese refugee trying to make good in her new home vs the relentless pace of redevelopment- a tale of the city.

lyrics

Capo 2nd fret

E
The lights are down for good in the Hollywood Café
Bm A
And the Olympia Milk Bar sign is faded and grey
Gm A
But he still sweeps the pavement down
Gm A
Part of the rhythm of this town
E A
And the people have moved on round
E
To shoppingtown

The old men used to gather here to spread the news
Like they used to gather and brag back in their youth
They’ve seen the old world change
Still the more some things remain the same
But is there life there in the concrete heart
Of shoppingtown

A D
In spite of it all
A D
Even mountains will fall
E
You can’t hold anything
A D
But as long as we’re here
A D
The message is clear
E
Love changes everything

Now the convenience store’s open ‘till 9 most days of the week
Amy Than was born in Vietnam but her olives are Greek
She’s doing the very best she can
Making a new life in another land
But everything’s so planned
In shoppingtown

In spite of it all etc



Amy’s lived here for 20 years and this is her home
But policies of profit and greed just make her feel more alone
And while the wheels of industry turn
We get the politicians we deserve
And live our lives at full discount
In shoppingtown

In spite of it all etc

credits

from Putting on the Dog (2011), released March 31, 2011

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Mark Lucas Sydney, Australia

Australian roots music – it’s a sense of place. In singer-songwriter Mark Lucas' word picture world you’ll encounter ghosts of the past & yearning spirits of the present, making themselves known in a variety of familiar locales, together with a motley cast of misfits & dreamers who could fit in just about anywhere there’s people & stories to tell. ... more

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