San Tau Tsuen

The comedic tale of moving to the mangroves in Hong Kong. Working with my old South African friend Alf Purchase, the humour was often bawdy and down to earth to say the least. Alf took no sh**e, but mutual respect was earned as we struggled, sweated, and cursed a trolley along a narrow path to the village of San Tau Tsuen. Original demos were Pogueish in delivery which Alf loved. I recorded a gentler version of the song as a tribute to Alf on his sad passing in 2018 and as thanks for that disasterous -yet hilarious- day and the subsequent help he gave me fixing up an old pig sty where I continued to live for the next 2 years. I did so many creative things there (including writing 50 Kids’s songs) until my rapid departure when an ex-triad threatened to cut my throat. Well, that’s for another song..

This one's for Alf

San Tau Tsuen

Lyrics & Music By Wayne James

We set off early, I was feeling rough

Like the old rice trolley holding all my stuff.

Alf brought spanners and the WD40

We were doing fine but the cart was naughty. 

The handle broke, Alf had a smoke.

We picked it up gave a pull and a poke,

Then brushed it off with a dirty joke

That day I moved to San Tau Tsuen.

We set off slowly to a hill and a bend,

But dropped a picture of a dear friend.

Along came a shiny new Mercedes Benz

With cutting smiles over knuckles ’n’ gems.

Our axle broke, Alf had a smoke.

We picked it up gave a twist and a poke,

Then greased it down with a smutty joke

That day I moved to San Tau Tsuen.

We set off re-wired with a skip and a toot 

Then lost the sofa at a quip on the route,

But the load was lighter and the path looked brighter,

I prefer to stand cos by butt feels tighter.

The chassis broke, Alf had a smoke.

We picked it up gave a kick and a poke,

Then stuck it together with a tacky joke

That day I moved to San Tau Tsuen. 

Alf said he should be the one to steer,

So we switched places and I took up the rear.

The path got slippy and the trolley veered.

We lost my bed in the swampy mere,

Alf sat down said he felt a bit queer!

Wet and broke, Alf had a smoke.

I laughed it up with a good old bloke,

And held it together with ironic jokes

That day I moved to San Tau Tsuen. 

6 hours late we arrived at the gate

With an old rice trolley and a plastic plate,

A lukewarm beer past its sell by date, 

And a half good story at any rate!

That day I moved to San Tau Tsuen…