As a woman, growing up in an average British town in the 1960s didn't always offer the greatest prospects. This is the story of the girl who decided she could do better than the typing pool and half a shandy on a Friday night. And her liberation was waiting for her just around the corner!
SIXTIES BITTER PILL
She was the girl that would never stand out
Just a blur on the roundabout
One of the crowd in an average town
Neither halo and neither crown
She was destined for the typing pool
To face the smutty jokes and ridicule
For wanting more than this town would allow
CHORUS
I’m getting out
There’s nothing you can do
I love you mum
But I can’t end up like you
I’m getting out
Before I lose the will
I’ve grown up but my future’s all downhill
A sixties bitter pill
Her feet were itchy but she toed the line
As good as gold with her work on time
She learnt the dance but couldn’t work it out
She chose to twist when it was her shout
A short skirt can only take you so far
Like sitting pretty at the end of a bar
But she wanted more than free drinks anyhow
CHORUS
I’m getting out
There’s nothing you can do
I love you mum
But I can’t end up like you
I’m getting out
Before I lose the will
My mind’s made up but my future’s all downhill
A sixties bitter pill
Dad tried to stop her and make her see
If she’d let a man provide for her
That she could make happy
Like the other girls
Who knew their place
Embraced their destiny
A small town rebel in a revolution
With peace and love the perfect resolution
Discovered hers against her expectation
A woman’s intimate liberation
The sweet relief of being understood
To break conventions from her own childhood
She gained much more than promises allow
CHORUS
© ANDY BARKER JANUARY 2021
