A poem about an ongoing situation in the Canary Islands. Bard of Ely wrote the words and did the vocals and Ed Drury provided the musical backing.

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Looky Looky men are illegal immigrants who sell various goods to tourists in the Canary Islands. They arrive on boats from various African countries and many die on the way and others get deported. The authorities are unable to deal with the ongoing situation.

On a boat from Africa I risked my life,
To seek my fortune and get money for my wife,
And now I’m here I’ll sell you what I can,
So come and buy from the Looky Looky Man.

I have cheap designer watches, and cool shades too,
And a range of novelty lighters especially for you.
And I am multi-lingual because I need to be
To speak to all the tourists who will speak to me.

I may be an illegal immigrant,
But I work to pay my way
And you’ll find me on the seafront
Or in the nearest bar each day,
It’s not an easy business but
If you were me you’d understand,
Why so many of us come here,
On boats from the mainland.

On a boat from Africa I risked my life,
To seek my fortune and get money for my wife,
And now I’m here I’ll sell you what I can,
So come and buy from the Looky Looky Man.