Present-day hero,
Sporting a pinstripe and wearing the regiment's tie,
Blood in his eye - the world on his shoulder.
Trims his moustache while he’s dreaming of destiny's hour,
Greedy for power -
Ready to save the nation, and lead us in the fight,
Never a doubt that everything he does is right.
National hero,
Neat little man who's been chosed by Fate to redeem
The national dream: Imperial Greatness.
St. George with a briefcase, he’s looking for dragons to slay,
Waits for the day -
We ask him to save the nation, and lead us in the fight,
Never a doubt that God is absolutely white.
Classical hero,
Standing alone on the bridge, he’s defending the race,
Setting his face against the invader.
Knowing the worth of a man can be seen by his skin,
The killing begins -
Determined to save the nation, and lead us in the fight,
Never a doubt that virtue is pure unblemished white.
Yesterday's hero,
Trapped in a bunker and died like a rat in a hole,
Ultimate goal of second-hand heroes.
Another one rises, demanding the right to be heard,
And gets the bird -
History shrugs its shoulders. Gives a big horse-laugh,
And the cut-price hero ends up with the rest of the trash!
Sporting a pinstripe and wearing the regiment's tie,
Blood in his eye - the world on his shoulder.
Trims his moustache while he’s dreaming of destiny's hour,
Greedy for power -
Ready to save the nation, and lead us in the fight,
Never a doubt that everything he does is right.
National hero,
Neat little man who's been chosed by Fate to redeem
The national dream: Imperial Greatness.
St. George with a briefcase, he’s looking for dragons to slay,
Waits for the day -
We ask him to save the nation, and lead us in the fight,
Never a doubt that God is absolutely white.
Classical hero,
Standing alone on the bridge, he’s defending the race,
Setting his face against the invader.
Knowing the worth of a man can be seen by his skin,
The killing begins -
Determined to save the nation, and lead us in the fight,
Never a doubt that virtue is pure unblemished white.
Yesterday's hero,
Trapped in a bunker and died like a rat in a hole,
Ultimate goal of second-hand heroes.
Another one rises, demanding the right to be heard,
And gets the bird -
History shrugs its shoulders. Gives a big horse-laugh,
And the cut-price hero ends up with the rest of the trash!
Contributed by Dead End - 2013/3/8 - 10:42
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Parole e musica di Ewan MacColl
Nel disco “Folkways Record of Contemporary Songs”, con Peggy Seeger.
Poi anche in “Hot Blast” del 1978, sempre con la Seeger.
Una canzone contro gli “eroi a buon mercato”, populisti, nazionalisti, capipopolo e dittatori di ogni risma ed epoca…