may 1st

a poem for labour day



im not quite sure how but i was too caught
up in my own busyness to spare a thought
for the international brotherhood of workers

so much for showing solidarity
a vague desire for greater parity
seems to be whats left of my indignation

i hardly had a heart for rioting
but my protest songs are now sung too quitely
long defore theyve served their pupose

i never changed the world with a 2 chord song
i never used my art to right a wrong
never pressed my claim for compensation

against the careless iconsideration of the wto
but its still labour day and ive still got the chance to show
the world only seems to value the intrinsically worthless

so though i cant be arsed to riot that dont mean that i dont care
im still some kind of fighter - fairly free and freely fair -
i may never be che, but hey a beret would muss my hair
and the televised revolution generations everywhere
bringing systems down from inside - far too gently but i swear
theres revolt in my revulsion and a bullet in my stare
we'll find out how to poison cream - so fat cats had best beware
were flicking v signs at the back of globalisation