What It Is

The drinking dens are spilling out, there's staggering in the square There's lads and lasses falling about and a crackling in the air Down around the dungeon doors, the shelters and the queues Everybody's looking for somebody's arms to fall into It's what it is It's what it is now There's frost on the graves and the monuments but the taverns are warm in town People curse the government and shovel hot food down Lights are out in the city hall, the castle and the keep The moon shines down upon it all, the legless and the sleepless Cold on the tollgate With the wagons creeping through Cold on the tollgate God knows what I could do with you It's what it is It's what it is now The Garison sleeps in the citadel with the ghost and the ancient stones High on the parapet, a Scottish piper stands alone High on the wind, the highland drums begin to roll And something from the past just comes and stares into my soul Cold on the tollgate With the Caledonian blues Cold on the tollgate God knows what I could do with you It's what it is It's what it is now What it is It's what it is now There's a chink of light, there's a burning wick, there's a lantern in the tower Wee Willie Winkie with a candlestick still writing songs in the wee wee hours On Charlotte Street, I take a walking stick from my hotel The ghost of Dirty Dick is still in search of Little Nell It's what it is It's what it is now Mh, it's what it is What it is now, now, now