Once I was seven years old, my mama told me,

"Go make yourself some friends or you'll be lonely"

Once I was seven years old

Once I was four years old, my mama told me,

“It’s time to go to school and do some learning”

Once I was four years old

It was a big, big world, but we thought we were bigger

Pushing each other to the limits, we were learning quicker

By eleven smoking herb and drinking burning liquor

Never rich so we were out to make that steady figure

It was a big, big school and we were only little

We learned to read, we learned to write and we had fun together

Happy children, making friends and drawing pretty pictures

Singing songs and riding bikes and reading fairy stories

Once I was eleven years old, my daddy told me,

"Go get yourself a wife or you'll be lonely"

Once I was eleven years old

Once I was eight years old, my daddy told me

“Sit down and play a game, go kick a football”

Once I was eight years old

I always had that dream, like my daddy before me

So I started writing songs, I started writing stories

Something about that glory just always seemed to bore me

'Cause only those I really love will ever really know me

I always had that dream, like the years before me,

To make the most of all the things that we could do together

PE and maths and English, RS and French and history

And art and music, books and science, project work and spellings

Once I was twenty years old, my story got told

Before the morning sun, when life was lonely

Once I was twenty years old

Once I was nine years old, my story got told

We read the BFG, the Secret Garden

Once I was nine years old

I only see my goals, I don't believe in failure

'Cause I know the smallest voices, they can make it major

I got my boys with me, at least those in favor

And if we don't meet before I leave, I hope I'll see you later

We’ve learned so many things, we have a thirst for knowledge

We studied World War Two, the Tudors, Romans, China, 

We planted sunflowers, went to Hazard Alley

Forest School, Florence Nightingale and Chembokoli, 

Once I was twenty years old, my story got told

I was writing about everything I saw before me

Once I was twenty years old

Once I was ten years old, we felt so grown up,

We were learning about everything we saw before us

Once I was ten years old

Soon we'll be thirty years old, our songs have been sold

We've travelled around the world and we're still roaming

Soon we'll be thirty years old

Now I’m eleven years old, the top of the school

It’s brilliant in year six because we’re prefects

Now we’re eleven years old

I'm still learning about life, my woman brought children for me

So I can sing them all my songs and I can tell them stories

Most of my boys are with me, some are still out seeking glory

And some I had to leave behind, my brother, I'm still sorry

We’ve done so many things, far too many to mention

The Mayor’s Chamber, Odds Farm Park and then there’s Hazard Alley

We went to Calshott too, theatre trips, Woodrow, swimming

The Albert Hall and Adam’s Park and Whipsnade Zoo and cooking

Soon I'll be sixty years old, my daddy got sixty-one

Remember life, and then your life becomes a better one

I made a man so happy when I wrote a letter once

I hope my children come and visit once or twice a month

Soon I’ll be twelve years old, its time to move on

We’ve chosen our new schools and soon we’re leaving

We’re going to miss our school, we’ve had some fun together

We’re going to miss all of our friends and all our brilliant teachers

Soon I'll be sixty years old, will I think the world is cold

Or will I have a lot of children who can warm me?

Soon I'll be sixty years old

Soon I’ll be twelve years old, it’s time to move on

Hope I’ll be as happy in year seven

Soon I’ll be twelve years old

Soon I'll be sixty years old, will I think the world is cold

Or will I have a lot of children who can warm me?

Soon I'll be sixty years old

Soon I’ll be twelve years old, it’s time to move on

Looking forward to the challenge in year seven

Soon I’ll be twelve years old

Once I was seven years old, my mama told me,

"Go make yourself some friends or you'll be lonely."

Once I was seven years old

Once I was seven years old

Once I was four years old, my mama told me,

“Its time to go to school and do some learning”

Once I was four years old

Once I was four years old