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Thick as Thieves

It was a glorious afternoon
The sun blazed
It was too good
An afternoon to
Spend at school

Catching the number 5
My mate, Rick and me
Went into town

I've never met
A guy with such wit
To this day he's still
The funniest guy
That I've ever met

We were part of the outsiders' gang
'Greebo's' they called us
We liked rock music,
Drinking and smoking
Rick and me also enjoyed shoplifting

We stole books from Waterstones
Books and magazines from Menzies
Sweets and porn mags from newsagents
CD's from HMV
We loved the thrill I guess
We also broke windows in the Suffolk College
We set fire to wheelie bins down Star Lane
And actually broke into a disused part of Woolworth's
(Before they knocked it down)
We were never caught

That day we headed to Woolworth's
We usually stole CD's
Tapes and videos from there
But today we just need
Some pop and ice creams to cool down
Rick was wearing he's
Huge grey trench coat
The coat he used to steal posters
He pushed them up his sleeve

Settling ourselves
Behind Woolworth's
We tucked into our horde
But just as we started
To enjoy our ice creams
A security guard appeared
He lunged for us
Rick was quick and moved
I foolishly tried to pick up our stash
I was caught
And marched back into the shop

In the shop I broke free
I thought I'd make it
But was apprehended
By a member of the public

I was marched into
The CCTV control room
I couldn't believe
I'd been caught
My parents were
Going to crucify me
But I also felt ashamed
That I have let them down

I blubbed
And blamed Rick
For coercing me
Into stealing for him
(I had seen a programme
On shoplifters
A week or so before)
Just then Rick
Was marched
Into the CCTV room
He had come back

They searched his bag
It was full of stolen gear
Books, Cd's, Tapes
And the pop we had just stolen
They asked him
Were he got all the stuff from
He told them
They were gob smacked
And they believed the story
Even more

Then he told them what
I had just said about
It all being his fault
That he had coerced me
Into joining him
(Perhaps he'd seen the
Same programme?)

Rick took the can
And saved me
From certain death
At the hands
Of my strict parents

We left together
And didn't mention
What had just happened
The police came to his house
He was given a caution

I gave it up
I know he continued

To him now
I raise my glass

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