It was a coal town
He spent his whole life in a hole in the ground
Smashing the pieces of earth
He never really saw the sky

It was a hard life
But little black rocks make televisions work
And put food on the table
Until the unions cast him aside

Now there's a hundred challenging things a boy can do
And you've waved goodbye and held more tears in
Than anyone ever should
And all my sorrows pale to insignificance
That's why I love you

She was in a strange land
She taught herself to read from doing crosswords
And hiding her accent
She cast her dreams aside

She had a spark in her eye
She never saw her son on his wedding day
Or our cherry blossoms
Falling down from the sky

Now there's a hundred challenging things a boy can do
And you've waved goodbye and held more tears in
Than anyone ever should
And all my sorrow pales to insignificance
That's why I love you

No coal mines, no, not a trace
Now shopping malls take their place
No picket lines
The sacrifice, dreams overrun
Hopes for a future for her son in Ollerton

And there's a hundred challenging things a boy can do
(Hundred challenging, hundred challenging)
(Hundred challenging things a boy can do)
And you've waved goodbye and held more tears in
Than anyone ever should

All my sorrows pale in to insignificance
That's why she loves you
(Hundred challenging, hundred challenging)
(Hundred challenging things a boy can do)

Hundred challenging, hundred challenging
Hundred challenging things a boy can do
Hundred challenging, hundred challenging
Hundred challenging things a boy can do
(Wave goodbye)

Hundred challenging, hundred challenging
(Wave goodbye)
Hundred challenging, say goodbye
(Wave goodbye)
Hundred challenging, hundred challenging
(Wave goodbye)
Hundred challenging, say goodbye to you