Category: Lyrics

Benny Greene

In the year of Our Lord Eighteen Hundred and Six
Young Benny Greene’s up to old tricks
Brewing beer in the sticks with old Billy Buck
He’s about to come into some luck

‘Cause Benny’s old neighbours, Sir Pat and Lady B
Got into a jam, needed a guarantee
Right place, right time, Billy said please
And the plantation owners handed over the keys

Benny Greene kept slaves
When Britannia ruled the waves
Yeah, Benny Greene kept slaves
It’s the price of a pint he says

Now Benny the brewer’s a slave owner too
A slave owner’s wealth is his to accrue
Arguing the toss in the local rag
That slavery ain’t so bad

But the people of Bury got fed up with Benny Greene
So he left young Eddie to run the brewery
And set up a West India company instead
The labour of slaves now his daily bread

Benny Greene kept slaves
When Britannia ruled the waves
Yeah, Benny Greene kept slaves
It’s the price of a pint he says

All good things lamented Benny Greene
When abolition came in 1833
But it turned out business barely took a hit
‘Cause there was compo, really quite a bit

You see, the thing about compensation in those days
Is it went to the owners and not the slaves
So they worked on the plantation, still engaged
But this time on a minimum wage

Benny Greene kept slaves
When Britannia ruled the waves
Yeah, Benny Greene kept slaves
It’s the price of a pint he says

While Eddie took the brewery and merged with Freddie King
Charlie went to St Kitts to do his thing
In all the pleasures of a slaver did he partake
Leaving thirteen bastards in his wake

Eddie became a Tory MP
Deputy Lieutentant and a JP
Master of the hunt, he would speak at great length
And the brewery went from strength to strength

Benny Greene kept slaves
When Britannia ruled the waves
Yeah, Benny Greene kept slaves
It’s the price of a pint he says

The business passed on to Walter Greene
Fortuitously born at the brewery
Hunting, driving and sailing yachts
While Lake built an empire ne’er to be forgot

The biggest brewer now in the UK
But there are reparations to be paid
For old Benny Greene’s slavery days
Not forgetting Charlies wayward ways

Benny Greene kept slaves
When Britannia ruled the waves
Yeah, Benny Greene kept slaves
It’s the price of a pint he says

The good folk of St Kitts have come to collect
The good folk of St Kitts say never forget
Put down your IPA and listen to their tale
There’s more than hops and barley in the story of your ale

Benny Greene kept slaves
When Britannia ruled the waves
Yeah, Benny Greene kept slaves
It’s the price of a pint he says

Put down your IPA and listen to their tale
There’s more than hops and barley in the story of your ale

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John Charles Jones

John Charles Jones
Had crops in October
John Charles Jones
When it started to rain
John Charles Jones
Fields are under water
Now he’ll have to wait for Spring to come
To plant ‘em all again

John Charles Jones
Crops are underwater
John Charles Jones
But nobody came
John Charles Jones
Because there wasn’t any funding
Now he’ll have to wait for Spring to come
To plant ‘em all again

And the rain came down
And the rain came down
And the rain came down
On saturated ground
And the rain came down
And the rain came down
And the rain came down
When Storm Henk came around

John Charles Jones
Says the climate is a-changin’
John Charles Jones
Says it’s easy to explain
John Charles Jones
Says the atmosphere is warming
Now he’ll have to wait for Spring to come
To plant his crops again

And the rain came down
And the rain came down
And the rain came down
On saturated ground
And the rain came down
And the rain came down
And the rain came down
When Storm Henk came around

When climate change came round

John Charles Jones
Crops are under water
Now he’ll have to wait for spring to come
To plant ‘em all again

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Arise, Sir Tim

From Orwell’s imaginary pub
To an invitation to join the club
Arise, Sir Tim
We’re sure you’re gonna fit right in

Arise, Sir Tim Wetherspoon
The cheap booze in warehouses tycoon
The Brexit beermat cartoon
The politics of public and saloon

Arise, Sir Tim
Whose pubs are never prim
Whose pint is always full to the brim
Whose views are uniformly grim

From Orwell’s imaginary pub
To the King’s chummy little club
Raise a glass to Empire and Crown
You were never going to turn one down

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Step Up

You can see it
But life goes on
All around you
Like there’s nothing wrong
Step up, step up
Step up, step up

The sticker in the window
Reads Free Palestine
You know that it’s right
But you don’t have the time
Step up, step up
Step up, step up

Because a better world
Begins with us
A better world
If we just step up
Step up
Step up, step up

Dead babies daily
In your feed
Ethnic cleansing
Guaranteed
Step up, step up
Step up, step up

Dead babies daily
Every day
We’re privileged enough
We can look away
Step up, step up
Step up, step up

Because a better world
Begins with us
A better world
If we just step up
Step up
Step up, step up

Because a better world
Begins with us
A better world
If we just step up
Step up
Step up

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Not a Damn Thing

Just Stop Oil getting on a plane
Gap year protest I hear you all complain
But you know she’s right and she has a life too
What exactly do you think that she’s supposed to do
Affected by the issues, here’s a helpline you can ring
It might make you feel better, but it won’t change a damn thing

Not a damn thing

You could be more mindful, here’s a book to colour in
But that won’t stop the fascism they’re tryin’ to usher in
Or you could do some yoga, do a downward dog or two
Take a deep breath and welcome in the new you
Affected by the issues, here’s a helpline you can ring
It might make you feel better, but it won’t change a damn thing

Not a damn thing
Not a damn thing

It won’t change a damn thing, but we can change anything
It won’t change a damn thing, but we can change anything…. (Yes, we can)

One has got the eyes, the other’s got the stare
There ain’t a fag paper between them to be fair
They ain’t on your side, you know this much is true
They ain’t on your side, so what you gonna do
Affected by the issues, here’s a helpline you can ring
It might make you feel better, but it won’t change a damn thing

Not a damn thing
Not a damn thing

They won’t change a damn thing, but we can change anything
They won’t change a damn thing, but we can change anything…yes, we can

How about some CBT or pop a pill or two
How about you drown it out in your choice of booze
Maybe you could meditate, and it would be OK
Maybe if we stick together there’s a better way
Affected by the issues, here’s a helpline you can ring
It might make you feel better, but it won’t change a damn thing

Not a damn thing
Not a damn thing

It won’t change a damn thing, but we can change anything
It won’t change a damn thing, but we can change anything…yes, we can

Just Stop Oil getting on a plane
Just Stop Oil glued to the road again
You say the wrong tactics at the wrong time
But what are you prepared to do to combat climate crime
Affected by the issues, here’s a helpline you can ring
It might make you feel better, but it won’t change a damn thing

Not a damn thing
Not a damn thing

It won’t change a damn thing, but we can change anything
It won’t change a damn thing, but we can change anything…yes, we can

Not a damn thing
Not a damn thing
Not a damn thing
Not a damn thing

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Perfectly Decent

As crass as Johnson’s letterbox
As nasty as GB News
As hateful as Douglas Murray
As ugly as Suella’s views

She says they’re mainstream
She says they’re insightful
Perfectly decent

Like a speech from the Right Honourable Member
For Northeast Somerset
From Bournemouth to Blackpool Council
They’re as bad as you will get

She says they’re mainstream
She says they’re insightful
Perfectly decent

From Enoch Powell’s rivers of blood
To Thatcher’s apartheid friend
From swarm and invasion to describe immigration
To the hostile environment

She says they’re mainstream
She says they’re insightful
Perfectly decent

So who needs Tommy Robinson
Who needs the Britain First crowd
Who needs Reform, who needs Reclaim
When the Tories are saying it loud

She says they’re mainstream
She says they’re insightful
Perfectly decent

She says they’re mainstream
She says they’re insightful
But they’re just racist

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Painting Over the Cartoons

Bob’s painting over the cartoons
He’s a bastard in the morning
And he’s worse in the afternoons

Bob’s painting over the cartoons
Bob doesn’t want the children
To feel human too

They’re not wanted here
Move them on from here
Do not give them the impression
That they’re welcome here

Bob’s painting over the cartoons
He’s a bastard in the morning
And he’s worse in the afternoons

Bob’s painting over the cartoons
He’ll suffer no succour for the war-torn
And trauma-strewn

They’re not wanted here
Move them on from here
Do not give them the impression
That they’re welcome here

Bob’s painting over the cartoons
He’s a bastard in the morning
And he’s worse in the afternoons

Bob’s painting over the cartoons
Whistling the tunes of racists
And swivel-eyed loons

They’re not wanted here
Move them on from here
Do not give them the impression
That they’re welcome here

This is the hostile environment
This is exactly what they meant
Their message is very clear

Bob’s painting over the cartoons

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1 Samuel 8

Samuel told them the words of the Lord
But the words of the Lord just got ignored
Samuel told them the words of the Lord
A king you really can’t afford

Samuel said he’ll take away your sons
Samuel said to fire his guns
Samuel said this kind of thing
Always happens when you have a king

Samuel told them the words of the Lord
But the words of the Lord just got ignored
Samuel told them the words of the Lord
A king you really can’t afford

Samuel said he’ll take away your daughters
For cooks and bakers and court supporters
Samuel said this kind of thing
Always happens when you have a king

Samuel said he’ll take away your fields
Samuel said to make swords and shields
Samuel said this kind of thing
Always happens when you have a king

Samuel told them the words of the Lord
But the words of the Lord just got ignored
Samuel told them the words of the Lord
A king you really can’t afford

Samuel said he’ll take away your vineyards
With kings he said the wealth always flows inwards
Samuel said this kind of thing
Always happens when you have a king

Samuel said he’ll take away your sheep
Samuel said service will come cheap
Samuel said this kind of thing
Always happens when you have a king

Samuel told them the words of the Lord
But the words of the Lord just got ignored
Samuel told them the words of the Lord
A king you really can’t afford
A king you really can’t afford
And these are the words of the Lord

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Bad Apples

Here it is, the bad apple defence
A line they all pursue
It’s alright round here really
It’s just a bad apple or two

It’s alright round here, just a few bad apples
It’s alright round here, just a few bad apples
It’s alright round here, just a few bad apples
It’s alright round here, just a few bad apples

It’s just the way things are done round here
We turn a blind eye, we cock a deaf ear
We reap what we sow
We let the bad apples grow

It’s alright round here, just a few bad apples
It’s alright round here, just a few bad apples
It’s alright round here, just a few bad apples
It’s alright round here, just a few bad apples

It ain’t everybody
But the rules are very clear
You never saw the bully
And there’s banter you don’t hear

It’s alright round here, just a few bad apples
It’s alright round here, just a few bad apples
It’s alright round here, just a few bad apples
It’s alright round here, just a few bad apples

It ain’t everybody
Just the facts that all folk know
It’s the way we do things round here
We just let bad apples grow

It’s alright round here, just a few bad apples
It’s alright round here, just a few bad apples
It’s alright round here, just a few bad apples
It’s alright round here, just a few bad apples

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