Jogging

Recently I've been struggling with anxiety
To the point I find it hard to leave the flat
The days drain away, scouring eBay
Or looking on Zoopla at houses where I'll never live

I know I must be paranoid
But every time I get the bus
I feel the many pairs of eyes
Weighing up my person surreptitiously

I was offered and took voluntary redundancy
From my role as counsellor at St. Cecilia's secondary school
So I went back freelance as a graphic designer
Business is ok, but I miss working with the young folk

I know I must be paranoid
When I pick up the groceries
One of the girls who works the check-out
Tuts under her breath and it destroys me for a week

Dr Shen prescribed me beta-blockers
And recommended taking daily exercise
So I've started jogging
To my own great surprise
Hundreds of miles going nowhere

I know I must be paranoid
This morning in memorial park
I thought I caught a busker
Sneak an ugly word into Wonderwall as I went by

Jogging, jogging, I'm jogging, jogging
Jogging, jogging, jogging, jogging
Jogging, jogging, I'm jogging, jogging
Jogging

There's a Kurdish family on the ground floor
Had a brick put through their kitchen window
The police know who did this, still they do nothing
It's lonely up here in Middle-England

I know I must be paranoid
But I feel the atmosphere
'Round here is growing nastier
People don't smile anymore
There's no such thing as a quick-fix

But jogging has provided me
A base on which to mould my time
And let my worries go a while
I know I must be paranoid

But I feel the atmosphere
'Round here is growing nastier
People don't care anymore

Would you like to sponsor me
For running the London Marathon?
Though it's really daunting
We're aiming to raise a thousand pounds for the British Red Cross