Uncle Belly's Leaning Shed

May 06, 2020

This is one of my oldest songs. It's a whimsical jazz-blues thing about an imaginary bar. Uncle Belly's Leaning Shed isn't the slickest looking joint in the world, but it's a place where bums and drifters are welcome and where you can happy and loved.

I wrote this when I was at college studying electronics, I guess about 1986. Me and a bunch of pals (hey Lee, Annette ...) did a spectacularly drunken version of this at the student summer party.

When I lived in Antwerp (from 2001 until covid), we had (for a while) a beautiful art-deco cafe called Cafe Kiebooms, run by Vic Mees. Cafe Kiebooms was a fun place (until it had to close due to neighbour issues). Vic and some of his clientele are featured in the video for this song.

This was a pretty quick and dirty recording. I will re-record soon, one day soon ...

(Verse)
There's a place that I know
Where only the poor people go
Every night, from the door
You'll hear the sound of laughter

It's not fashionable, it's not chic,
And when it rains the roof sometimes leaks.
The only light comes from the lamplight
Hanging from the rafter.

Until the sunrise comes,
The drifters and the bums,
Let down their hair and put the world to rights,
Almost every night

(Chorus)
It don't matter if you got no money
It ain't the kind of place that you need bread
Come on, get yourself a taste of honey
Down at Uncle Belly's Leaning Shed

Four in the morning and the city slumbers
The office workers safely home in bed
Come on, get yourself a game of numbers
Down at Uncle Belly's Leaning Shed

(Instrumental)

If love's your thing bring a madam, bring a mister
If you're a wino bring a bottle instead
Prepare to share them with your brother and your sister
Down at Uncle Belly's Leaning Shed
Down at Uncle Belly's Leaning Shed