Nothing Ever Happens
Del Amitri Lyrics

Post office clerks put up signs saying "position closed"
People are losing their jobs and businesses are closing down.

And secretaries turn off typewriters and put on their coats
More people are losing their jobs.

And janitors padlock the gates for security guards to patrol
The end of work day is near and people are getting ready to leave.

And bachelors phone up their friends for a drink
Single people are trying to socialize to avoid feeling lonely.

While the married ones turn on a chat show
Married people are looking for entertainment without having to go out.

And they'll all be lonely tonight and lonely tomorrow
Despite their attempts to socialize, people will still feel lonely.

Gentlemen, time please, you know we can't serve anymore
Last call at the bar, closing time is imminent.

Now the traffic lights change to stop, when there's nothing to go
The roads are empty, and the traffic lights change without any reason.

And by five o'clock everything's dead
The workday is over, and the streets are empty.

And every third car is a cab
People aren't driving their cars anymore, and taxis are the only vehicles on the road.

And ignorant people sleep in their beds
People who are unaware of the world's problems are sleeping peacefully.

Like the doped white mice in the college lab
Ignorant people are like lab mice that are tranquilized for experiments.

Telephone exchanges click while there's nobody there
No one is answering the phones, and the exchanges are silent.

The Martians could land in the car park and no one would care
People are so disinterested that they wouldn't care if an alien invasion happened.

Close-circuit cameras in department stores shoot the same movie every day
Recorded footage is played on a loop, because nothing ever happens.

And the stars of these films neither die nor get killed
The footage features actors who never face any danger or adversity.

Just survive constant action replay
The footage shows the same events repeatedly, with no variations.

And bill holdings advertise products that nobody needs
Advertisements try to sell products that people don't want or need.

While angry from Manchester writes to complain about all the repeats on T.V.
People are unhappy with the lack of quality programming, and complain to no avail.

And computer terminals report some gains on the values of copper and tin
People are only concerned with boring financial news that has no impact on their lives.

While American businessmen snap up Van Goghs for the price of a hospital wing
Rich people are buying expensive artwork, while others struggle to afford healthcare.

And nothing ever happens, nothing happens at all
Life is uneventful and dull.

The needle returns to the start of the song
The song repeats the same melody, just like how life seems to repeat the same patterns.

And we all sing along like before
Despite the bleakness, people still find comfort in familiarity.

They'll burn down the synagogues at six o'clock
People will continue to perpetrate violence and hate crimes.

And we'll all go along like before
Despite knowing that the world is unjust and cruel, people will continue to live life as usual.

And we'll all be lonely tonight and lonely tomorrow
Despite all the technology and connectivity, people are still lonely and disconnected from each other.