The river slapped against the dock,
unpleasantly,
incessantly.
We stood under the bridge
where Walworth once
had Tyler’s head displayed.
A revolt betrayed
by a misplaced faith in kings.
It’s not enough, she said,
to pull men from the river.
We must also go upstream
to see who pushed them in.
Upstream, the palace,
its sunlit terraces,
its privileged view.
We knew.
As Tyler before us knew too.
With fewer his majesties
There’d be fewer dead
Yet he leads the remembrance
The old soldier said
The symbols that you see
Are there to show you who’s the boss
They know that you’ll comply
With the poppy and the cross
The poppy and the cross
King and country and the rest
It’s amazing what you’ll suffer
To be told that you’re the best
His Majesty don’t care
For your sorrow and your loss
So long as you’ll die for
The poppy and the cross
That fella with the wreath, he said
Signs the papers off
To manufacture weapons
For the poppy and the cross
To ship them overseas
For genocide in foreign lands
His jacket wears a poppy
But bloody are his hands
Bloody are his hands
King and country and the rest
It’s amazing what you’ll suffer
To be told that you’re the best
His Majesty don’t care
For your sorrow and your loss
So long as you’ll die for
The poppy and the cross
He holds a shepherd’s crook
And he wears a bishop’s hat
The old soldier said to me
What do you make of that
Here to give the slaughter
Some of his pious gloss
Here to lead the prayers
For the poppy and the cross
The poppy and the cross
God and country and the rest
It’s amazing what you’ll suffer
To be told that you’re the best
His Majesty don’t care
For your sorrow and your loss
So long as you’ll die for
The poppy and the cross
Don’t confuse sacrifice
With being sacrificed
The old soldier spoke
Of the wicked loss of life
King and country, God and crown
Will never count the cost
It’s you and I that die
For the poppy and the cross
The poppy and the cross
King and country and the rest
It’s amazing what you’ll suffer
To be told that you’re the best
His Majesty don’t care
For your sorrow and your loss
So long as you’ll die for
The poppy and the cross
The moon shone bright, the frost was cruel
He lived a good league hence
But here to gather winter fuel
Lest he should burn the forest fence
When Wenceslas he did espy
And cried out Sire, why walk you by
And no longer bring me pine logs hither
Ye, who would bless the poor
A Christian man, good and sure
Whose allowance he’s content to wither
Wenceslas, full of grace
Struck the peasant in the face
Then struck again as he lay prone
Admonishing, leave me alone
Therefore, English men be sure
Without rank possessing
Question Wenceslas’s care
And you’ll receive his blessing
In the New Austerity Inn
Where the beer tastes of poverty and spin
Rachel plays a tiny violin
(Singing) You can’t have it if you can’t afford it
You can’t have it if you can’t afford it
You can’t have it if you can’t afford it
You can’t have it if you can’t afford it
In the New Austerity Inn
Where old folk aspire for a warm around the fire
Rachel leads the budget choir
(Singing) You can’t have it if you can’t afford it
You can’t have it if you can’t afford it
You can’t have it if you can’t afford it
You can’t have it if you can’t afford it
In the New Austerity Inn
The New Austerity Inn
In the New Austerity Inn
The New Austerity Inn
In the New Austerity Inn
The guvnor’s got a new suit, new tie, new boots
He says everything’s reduced
(But) You can’t have it if you can’t afford it
You can’t have it if you can’t afford it
You can’t have it if you can’t afford it
You can’t have it if you can’t afford it
In the New Austerity Inn
The New Austerity Inn
In the New Austerity Inn
The New Austerity Inn
It was just like this with George in charge
A bloke at the bar says he voted Farage
And Rachel shouts “Now we’re in charge”
In the New Austerity Inn
The New Austerity Inn
In the New Austerity Inn
The New Austerity Inn
(And) You can’t have it if you can’t afford it
You can’t have it if you can’t afford it
You can’t have it if you can’t afford it
You can’t have it if you can’t afford it
We can’t have it if they can’t afford it
We can’t have it if they can’t afford it
We can’t have it if they can’t afford it
We can’t have it if they can’t afford it
Tina believed the Big Lie
Now Tina’s gonna have to let time go by
‘Cause Tina broke in to the voting machine
To try to prove that Donald’s hands were clean
But Donald’s hands are dirty as hell
Now Tina’s hands are dirty as well
Now Tina’s gonna have to let time go by
‘Cause Tina believed the Big Lie….(and My Pillow Guy)
Tina and My Pillow Guy
Tina and My Pillow Guy (and the Big Lie)
Tina and My Pillow Guy
Will have to say goodbye
Tina believed in My Pillow Guy
Now Tina’s gonna have to let time go by
‘Cause Tina broke into the voting machine
To try to prove that Donald’s hands were clean
But Donald’s hands are dirty as hell
And Mike’s hands are dirty as well
Now Tina’s gonna have to let time go by
‘Cause Tina believed in My Pillow Guy
Tina and My Pillow Guy
Tina and My Pillow Guy (and the Big Lie)
Tina and My Pillow Guy
Will have to say goodbye
Tina believed the Big Lie
Now Tina’s gonna have to let time go by
Tina broke into the voting machine
To try to prove that Donald’s hands were clean
But Donald’s hands are dirty as hell
Now Tina’s hands are dirty as well
And Tina’s gonna have to let time go by
‘Cause Tina believed the Big Lie
A cloth so fine I’ll weave for you
The great and good can only view
The likes of which you’ve never seen
And best of all the suit is free
You’ll have clothes like no one else
The best of everything he sells
The people they will never see
And best of all, the suit is free
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss
Wearing the same invisible cloth
The people look, the people stare
From Clacton to Trafalgar Square
The people look, the people stare
But they all know there’s nothing there
The bobbin span, the shuttle flew
The sick, he said, have work to do
The finest cloth is meant for me
And best of all, the suit is free
The finest cloth on the machine
Though there was nothing to be seen
No marvel that his eye could see
But nonetheless the suit was free
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss
Wearing the same invisible cloth
The people look, the people stare
From Clacton to Trafalgar Square
The people look, the people stare
But they all know there’s nothing there
Tough choices, did he have the spine
To say I see no cloth so fine
The cloth the great and good could see
But best of all the suit was free
Tough choices, but you know the rest
The cloth, he said, was of the best
The cloth the great and good could see
But best of all the suit was free
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss
Wearing the same invisible cloth
The people look, the people stare
From Clacton to Trafalgar Square
The people look, the people stare
But they all know there’s nothing there
The people look, the people stare
From Clacton to Trafalgar Square
The people look, the people stare
But they all know there’s nothing there
They all know the king is bare
A cloth so beautiful, he said
I’ll weave for you, Sir Kier
That to the simple or unfit
Invisible ‘t will appear
These splendid clothes, I just must have
What do they cost, pray tell
To you it’s free, the Baron said
‘N’ I’ll dress your wife as well
He set up looms and set to work
Weaving night and day
And yet the golden thread they brought
He simply put away
Kier sent a spad to view the cloth
It’s gorgeous, he announced
Seeing nothing, but for fear
That he might be denounced
His Chief of Staff gave equal praise
Lest she be seen unfit
The most magnificent I’ve seen
Was all she dared submit
And so, Sir Kier came to view
This cloth beyond compare
The best design I ever wove
The Baron did declare
It surely is, Sir Kier agreed
Though there was nowt to see
Neither simple nor unfit
Could he be seen to be
So pleased he seemed that no one dared
To baulk or disagree
And the Baron was rewarded
With a Westminster Palace key
He sewed all night by candlelight
His scissors keen and steady
Cut unseen cloth, and as dawn broke
He cried, Kier’s suit is ready
Your trousers, he presented
Your jacket and your tie
So light, like wearing nothing
Oh, how splendid, the reply
Upon the people, he processed
How beautiful, they cooed
And not a soul dared suggest
Sir Kier was in the nude
Until a child’s voice, young Owen
The crowd all heard his call
Sir Kier, I declare is wearing
Not a thing at all
Listen to the child, they said
Sir Kier’s glamour gone
But there was nothing for it
So, he, naked, just marched on
He’s got his own spaceship
Says he’s going to race it
All the way to Mars
Build houses for billionaires and superstars
He’s got his own spaceship
‘Cause he’s just a rich git
Think it should be ours
Not just for billionaires and superstars
(Here we go)
100% 100%
100% (Without consent)
100% (Take it to the max)
100%…
Spaceship tax
He’s got his own space rocket
Looks like a cock, it’s
On the way to Mars
With billionaire spacemen and superstars
He’s got his own space rocket
Surplus value in his pocket
Think it should be ours
Not just for billionaires and superstars
(Here we go)
10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1…
100% 100%
100% 100%
100%…
Spaceship tax
Kier’s half-naked and freezing
There is no budget for clothes
PMQ’s in his underpants
And even his wife bought those
Nobody thought to tell him
There’s no shirts on the public purse
You need a rich donor for clothing
Or it’s just boxers or worse
Kier’s half-naked and freezing
Because of the bribe he ignored
PMQ’s in his underpants
It’s all the clothes we can afford
Steve White & The Protest Family 