They put a parking lot on a piece of land - Where the supermarket used to stand -Before that they put up a bowling alley - On the site that used to be the local Palais

The rest of the lyrics are unusually intelligible for a pop song. It has a very clear, concrete meaning. But these first lines are baffling.

He appears to be saying that the Palais was removed and replaced with a bowling alley, which in turn was removed and replaced by a supermarket, which in turn was replaced with a carpark?

Even in a big city things just aren't knocked down and rebuilt at that sort of speed. Judging by his Sister having kids who get up to mischief it seems like it's been twenty years.

Nobody would knock down a building three times in twenty years.

I could understand if it was "put in" a bowling alley - modifying the palais. But he clearly says "put up". It conflicts with the tone of the rest of the song.

I'm a teacher and I want to use this song in class but I know the first lines are going to throw the students off, so I need to understand it beforehand.

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