Like Boris Johnson gaslighting you about your gas bill, the myth of hard work is that if capitalism isn’t working for you it’s because you’re not working hard enough, and nothing to do with the whole crooked system being engineered to make very rich people even richer at your expense. Prime Minister in Waiting and co-author of Britannia Unchained, Liz Truss, is precisely one of those people who benefit from you believing that all you need to succeed is a little hard work and this country’s failing infrastructure is your fault for not grafting quite hard enough; her role after all is to protect the private sector and big business at all costs and not to look after you, no matter what she says. Don’t let her get away with it.
John Henry had his hammer, Stakhanov a jackhammer too
But Liz says that the British worker is an idler through and through
Now, hard work killed John Henry, and hard work will kill you too
So, when Liz says you need more hard graft, you know what you have to do
Tell her we’ll do a good day’s work, but for a good day’s pay
And when the union comes calling, we’ll take our work away
‘Cause we won’t break our backs for a boss who won’t pay tax
And we’ll do our stint together and our way, oh yeah
We’ll do our stint together and our way
John Henry, he built the railroad, Stakhanov, he mined for coal
But Liz says that the British worker prefers life on the dole
Now, hard work killed John Henry, and hard work will kill you too
So, when Liz says the nation lacks skill and application, you know what you have to do
Tell her we’ll do a good day’s work, but for a good day’s pay
And when the union comes calling, we’ll take our work away
‘Cause we won’t break our backs for a boss who won’t pay tax
And we’ll do our stint together and our way, oh yeah
We’ll do our stint together and our way
John Henry was buried in the morning, Alexei raised a glass
But Liz says that the British worker needs a kick up the arse
Now, hard work killed John Henry, and hard work will kill you too
So, when Liz comes promising some levelling up, you know what you have to do
Tell her we’ll do a good day’s work, but for a good day’s pay
And when the union comes calling, we’ll take our work away
‘Cause we won’t break our backs for a boss who won’t pay tax
And we’ll do our stint together and our way, oh yeah
We’ll do our stint together and our way, oh yeah
We’ll do our stint together and our way
Steve White & The Protest Family 