Catherine Hickman (lyrics)

 

Catherine Hickman worked from her home   

Making dresses each day by the window.                   

Her eleventh floor flat In Lakanal House

Enjoying the views Over Camberwell

 

One day while sewing she noticed some smoke

Rising up from a flat down below.

Without thinking twice, she dialled 999

And asked what they thought she should do.

 

Stay put said the operator,                                             

We know where you are                          

Someone is coming                       

You won’t wait for long.                          

Stay put said the operator

You’re best where you are,

I’ll stay on the line

 

Now Catherine was an obedient soul.

She respected authority, did what she was told.

She stayed in her flat though her instincts said flee,

The operator wass holding.you see

 

But there’s smoke through the floorboards now, what shall I do?

Shall I go to the stairs, try to make my way through?

Catherine was waiting for that fireman to come,

But Catherine waited in vain

 

Stay put said the operator.                                             

Don’t open the door                                 

You don’t know what’s out there                      

And neither do I     

Stay put said operator

You’re best where you are

I’m still on the line

 

But it’s getting so smoky in here

It’s getting so hot              

It’s getting so hard to breathe               

Oh my God, the curtains are burning   

Oh my God, there are flames at the door       

Oh my God, it’s orange, orange everywhere  

 Then the ceiling came down

 

 

Hello Catherine, the operator said,

Catherine are you there?                        

Catherine can you hear me?                                           

I think we’ve lost the line                         

 

On the phone for an hour            

To the emergency operator                   

Why could nobody save her?                              

Dear God, why didn’t they tell her to run?

Dear god why didn’t the fireman come?

Dear God, why did they use that cladding that burned?

Who was to blame?

 

Her sisters said they hoped that lessons were learned.

Changes would be made before more people burned.

Her sisters prayed it wouldn’t happen again

That Catherine did not die in vain.

 

Eight years later, another fire.

72 people died this time in Grenfell tower.    

Firemen told people to stay in their homes,   

Some survived because they disobeyed.          

 

No lessons were learned from Lakanal house

They still used that cladding that helps flames to rise

That turns high-ris eblocks into tombs in the sky

(Made of shoddy  materials, but kind on the eye!)

Won’t retrofit sprinklers, so no one need die

Won’t sacrifice profit to save human lives

So sad, but It seems Catherine Hickman died

 In vain.