Matter of Time II

And perhaps, if a particular chain of events had not been set in motion

Benjamin, Elowen, Locryn, and Lowen would've watched that night on their fourteen-inch Panasonic television screen

As Explorer One was sent into orbit

But a chain of events had been set in motion

Very early that mornin' Friday, January 31st, 1958

At 4:01 a.m. the alarm clock on Mr. Gladstone's bedside table sounded

But, an exhausted Mr. Gladstone did not wake

Six hours and two minutes later at 10:03

Mr. Bennett rang the bell at Mr. Gladstone's Bakery

To purchase Mrs. Bennett's favourite iced buns

On this, their thirty-ninth weddin' anniversary

But upon arrival, he discovered that the bakery had not opened

As Mr. Gladstone was soundly sleepin' in his bed

Soundly snorin' in his bed

I was sleepin' like the dead

You were snorin'

I was sleepin'

You were snorin'

I'm ignorin' you

It's all just a matter of time

It's all just a matter of–

At 10:06 in Miss Moncrief's tearoom

Miss Maureen Moncrief, now age eighty-three

Who had already enjoyed three cups from her gin-filled teapot 'eard a knock at the door

Since the owner of the bakery was not awake

One beleaguered Mr. Bennett had come to Miss Moncrief's to make

Mrs. Bennett's second-favourite

A lemon drizzle cake

So she fired up the stove and popped it in

Then returnin' to her tea discreetly topped it up with gin

It's just a little spot of gin

Mr. Bennett had estimated that his trip to the bakery would require no more than seven or eight minutes

However, the additional time require for the inebriated Miss Moncrief to locate her ingredients

Ignite up her dodgy gas stove, and bake the lemon drizzle

Resulted in Mr. Bennett headin' home

A full one-hour and ten minutes later than expected

At that exact same moment

Millie Dyer was accompanyin' her gnome Gerald

To his annual check-up at the doctors office

As she came around the corner, she did not expect to meet

A speedin' Mr. Bennett who promptly knocked her off her feet

Her precious gnome went flyin' and collided with the street

Mr. Bennett grabbed his lemon cake and fled

You bugger, I was growin' me an 'usband

And you've just broken off his 'ead

Don't worry Gerald, I'll save you

So Millie Dyer altered course and hurried to the village shop

To purchase a pot of glue

She took a shortcut along the harbour wall

A shortcut that would cut her journey short

By three minutes and thirty-one seconds

Three minutes and thirty-one seconds

Three minutes and thirty-one seconds

Until, at 11:52 a.m. she collided with a crate in the hands of Captain Carrick

Containin' a catch of mackerel from his mornin' fishin' on the sea

Captain Carrick, reachin' out to stop his fall

Caught the handle of a tank of red diesel

The tank went over, with the captain

Coverin' him, his mackerel and the harbour walkway in twelve gallons of gas oil

Millie Dyer couldn't stop, and hurried off right quick

Leavin' the mackerel and the seawall in an oil slick

Oh, I hate that bloody gnome he always was a little–

Captain Carrick gave the ground a little scrub

Then quickly left the scene to recover in the pub

To recover in the pub

Oh, it's all just a matter of time

All just a, all just a matter of time

Oh, it's all just a matter of time

It's all just a, all just a matter of

Four hours and six minutes later at 3:58 p.m

Benjamin Button walked his daughter, Lowen, home from school

But on this day at 3:58 p.m

He took the route by the harbour to go to the chemist

Since Miss Moncrief had kept on drinkin' after makin' that cake

She had not turned off the over from her earlier bake

And the gas in the pipework ignited

Explodin' in a crack of sound and light

Just as Benjamin and Lowen passed the seafront wall

Where Captain Arthur Carrick had his earlier fall

As the town looked down at the thunderous sound

Lowen stepped back on the oil-slick ground

As Benjamin was distracted

Lowen slipped from the harbour wall

Into the deep water below

Oh, it's all just a matter of time

All just a matter of time