888 - The Currency

You said you’d meet me at the corner

Of Russell and Victoria

When I arrived you weren’t there

So I opened up the bottle

Of red I brought to share

And sat upon the monument stairs

It says here

Of battles fought and won

It says here

Of victories a long time coming

An eight hour day

An honest working wage

It’s just history

Sitting on the steps of the Eight Hour Monument

Drinking my day away

Sitting on the steps of the Eight Hour Monument

Thinking what would the ghosts of our great-grandparents say?

Across the road Trades Hall

And behind me the Old Melbourne Gaol

I bought a souvenir mug

To drink out of

With the death mask of Edward Kelly

It says here

Ned’s parting words

It' says here

«Such is life!»

Where the heavens are you, what the hell am I to do

And how on earth did it end up this way?

It’s just history