I was twenty-one years when I wrote this song
I'm twenty-two now, but I won't be for long
People ask me when will I grow up to understand
Why the girls I knew at school are already pushing prams

I loved you then as I love you still
Though I put you on a pedestal
You put me on the pill
I don't feel bad about letting you go
I just feel sad about letting you know

(Chorus)
I don't want to change the world
I'm not looking for a new England
Are you looking for another girl

I don't want to change the world
I'm not looking for a new England
Are you looking for another girl

I loved the words you wrote to me
But that was bloody yesterday
I can't survive on what you send
Every time you need a friend

I saw two shooting stars last night
I wished on them, but they were only satellites
It's wrong to wish on space hardware
I wish, I wish, I wish you'd care

Chorus

My dreams were full of strange ideas
My mind was set despite the fears
But other things got in the way
I never asked that boy to stay

Once upon a time at home
I sat beside the telephone
Waiting for someone to pull me through
When at last it didn't ring, I knew it wasn't you

Chorus

Kirsty MacColl was born in the town of Croydon, England, in 1959. Her mother was a dancer, and her father, a folk singer. Kirsty showed early interest in the theatre, but started her professional career as a singer in a local punk rock band, Drug Addix. Her solo debut song was They Don't Know, in 1979. It faired well with radio play, but suffered from a distributor's strike that prevented the single from reaching the UK shops. This was rather a shame, since the MacColl-written song was a monster hit for another English singer and actress, Tracey Ullman.

Kirsty forged on with her career regardless, turning out minor successes like You Caught Me Out, and There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis, but finally make a splash with a song by Billy Bragg called A New England. Later, in 1987, she was immortalized by being featured on Fairy Tale of New York with The Pogues.

Her songs were hard to categorize for the record industry, and often contained sad, biting and sarcastic lyrics. This may have been why such a talented song writer never went on to super-stardom. In a most unfortunate ending to her career, Kirsty was killed by a speedboat in 2000, while Scuba diving in Mexico. Kirsty's last released song was In These Shoes.

Connections: Kirsty MacColl worked with The Pogues on what has become my favourite Christmas song. Also - check out Tracey Ullman's version of Kirsty's They Don't Know.