Not In My Name - Joelistics

Lately I’ve been losing all my faith in humanity

And to think I am a part of it’s embarrassing

I read the paper and I keep up with the news

I can’t recognise what we do as even human

It’s out of wack, out of balance, out of control

The lies told and the attitude that unfold

This fucking country has a rotten bitter hard soul

These are laws of the land that the Crown stole

I hear them talk, talk, talking on the radio

They spit fever pitch panic on what they oppose

I read the columns, the letters and opinion pieces

At every pub everybody’s got prepared speeches

Misunderstanding all the pain in the politics

They only want a scapegoat and kept promises

And all the anger and the fear and resentment grows

The brutality of lucky country village folk

It’s not enough to turn back a bunch of leaky boats

It’s not enough to kill their dreams then we kill their hope

It’s not enough to deprive them of their human rights

It’s not enough, until somebody lose their life

Dark shadows gather history will judge us hard

One day you’ll ask yourself «did I do enough?»

And how much cruelty did we allow to be dealt

To a group of desperate people asking for some help

How does it sit with you?

How do you sleep at night?

Does it worry you at all occupy your mind?

I hang my head, heavy heart, I am so ashamed

It’s in my backyard, but not in my name

The journalists gather, the cameras click clack

And at the podium the speaker’s putting on his act

He talks in double speak, Orwellian reports

Empty words but his body language says it all

His hands are outstretched, now his arms are crossed

His white face sweats bullets and he nods a lot

Official press release, massive fact omissions

The purpose so clear — dehumanise the victims

Appoint an expert, launch enquiries

Pass the buck, obfuscation by any means

He answers all the questions with the party line

Repeats the focus group emotion heavy catch cries

He knows his audience, and how to handle them

Talk tough, keep it simple, act the larrikin

Make them think that your one of them just like a mate

Repeat the sentiment — «ain't this fucking country great»

Now he’s hit his stride, he’s got them hypnotised

Convince them there’s a threat to their very way of life

And now the lights fade and he walks away

He played it perfectly to keep the power one more day

[How does it sit with you?

How do you sleep at night?

Does it worry you at all are you dead inside?

I hang my head, heavy heart, I am so ashamed

It’s in my backyard, but not in my name]

The sun beats down hot upon a prison camp

A family huddles in a tent with no ceiling fan

The days roll in to each other in the worst way

A young boy celebrates his 9th birthday

At night he hears people weeping it’s a common sound

He’s used to to seeing things he saw his sister drown

He wonders if it’s real, he wonders who to trust

His mum and dad are like ghosts they don’t talk too much

He kicks a soccer ball in an empty field

One of the guards kicks it back and compliments his skill

The boy tells the guard «I turned nine today»

The guard smiles, stops, then he looks away

He says «Little man one day I hope you understand

When you’re older and your dignity is still intact

And you look back at this vicious treatment

Not all were complicit, not all were indecent»

[How does it sit with you?

How do you sleep at night?

Does it worry you at do you sympathise?

I hang my head, heavy heart, I am so ashamed

It’s in my backyard, but not in my name

Not in my name

Not in my name

Not in my name!]