The suits from the G8 and the WTO
Only let you in on what they thing you ought to know
Charging glasses in the ballroom with champagne again
They're worth fifty countries but they're hardly fifty men
And there's baton rounds and riot shields to help you to decide
And the sweet scent of pepper gas to keep you on their side
Making up your own mind just as long as you agree
We'll give you all the answers and help you to believe
So tell me you're happy
Tell me you are free
Free to gaze at the stars, use the pavement as your pillow
Free to be...all that you can be
We've got Cadillacs and photo shoots for shiny magazines
Gucci shoes, Armani suits and stretch limousines
There's the politician's slush fund and a kick-back for the cops
Something here for everyone if you pull out all the stops
And all the world's a market place that you can globalize
They put price tags on your DNA and spray with pesticides
Some are raking in the profits while we're falling to our knees
Some are drinking at the fountain, others fighting the disease
So tell me you're happy
Glad that you are free
Free to scale the scrap heap and left listening to your belly
Free to be...all that you can be
Now there's a pay-load for the Hitler who you paid the year before
And while you're fighting for the refugee, you're bolting all your doors
We got bombs enough to help you but we're a little short on homes
We got bags and bags of sympathy but the borders all stay closed
So we raise a town to rubble and then raise a glass or two
If you dispossess a million, you earn a million for the few
And while the bombs are getting smarter, we're all busy dumbing down
There are pictures of your TV but we're turning down the sound
So tell me that you're happy
Glad that you are free
Free to run from missiles and brave boys with itchy fingers
Free to be...all that you can be
Free to be...all that you can be
Only let you in on what they thing you ought to know
Charging glasses in the ballroom with champagne again
They're worth fifty countries but they're hardly fifty men
And there's baton rounds and riot shields to help you to decide
And the sweet scent of pepper gas to keep you on their side
Making up your own mind just as long as you agree
We'll give you all the answers and help you to believe
So tell me you're happy
Tell me you are free
Free to gaze at the stars, use the pavement as your pillow
Free to be...all that you can be
We've got Cadillacs and photo shoots for shiny magazines
Gucci shoes, Armani suits and stretch limousines
There's the politician's slush fund and a kick-back for the cops
Something here for everyone if you pull out all the stops
And all the world's a market place that you can globalize
They put price tags on your DNA and spray with pesticides
Some are raking in the profits while we're falling to our knees
Some are drinking at the fountain, others fighting the disease
So tell me you're happy
Glad that you are free
Free to scale the scrap heap and left listening to your belly
Free to be...all that you can be
Now there's a pay-load for the Hitler who you paid the year before
And while you're fighting for the refugee, you're bolting all your doors
We got bombs enough to help you but we're a little short on homes
We got bags and bags of sympathy but the borders all stay closed
So we raise a town to rubble and then raise a glass or two
If you dispossess a million, you earn a million for the few
And while the bombs are getting smarter, we're all busy dumbing down
There are pictures of your TV but we're turning down the sound
So tell me that you're happy
Glad that you are free
Free to run from missiles and brave boys with itchy fingers
Free to be...all that you can be
Free to be...all that you can be
Contributed by Riccardo Venturi - 2005/6/30 - 19:19
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Testo e musica di Joe Hartney
Lyrics and music by Joe Hartney
Testo ripreso da:
Lyrics available at:
http://polsong.gcal.ac.uk/songs/hartney.html
"This song was written shortly after the anti-capitalist protest in Seattle in 1999; it was sparked by a newspaper report about a dinner held there for heads of corporation (such as Microsoft etc) which pointed out the fifty or so people attending controlled more wealth than almost the whole of Africa". -Joe Hartney