The Right to Reply

Conflict

The house looks for an answer to end all the violence 
The ungovernable finally break silence 
There's endless white papers and new institutions 
That still won't stop us, it's no solution 

The right and the left wing continue to bore 
With pre dated policies all heard before 
This is mankind now see how mankind kills 
Now we are hitting back hard and you see how it feels 

They preach and teach examinational tests 
So, the political privileged can order the rest 
Of the young parasites who live in a world without hope 
To get back in line, and stay there, then assure us they will cope 

In the new violent Britain, they pledge to invest 
In skills and communities with renewed interest 
To build schools of education, not colleges of crime 
A manifesto so perfectly timed 
Providing help for the helpless, their new commissions strive 
For a stable reeducated society by 1995 

Meanwhile, we fight on in desperation still trying to break through 
Their barriers of insanity and even now they know it's true 
That to eradicate violence effectively, injustice has to unfold 
But, instead they choose to compensate, to lie and then collaborate 
No interest in any true debate, their courts set up the offender's fate 
The new secure units for the old custodial sentence 

Well we have listened to you for long enough, taken all your threats and you ain't so tough 
You intimidate then punish the persistent hard core offender 
You condemn more and understand less; so you will get no apologies ever 
In an atmosphere of moral panic, you blame us for fighting back 
But it's us that has been dragged through your streets backwards, battered shell shocked and attacked 

The pressure's building on law and order, but we ain't even started 
They may think that they have been tested, but no way, for we still stand divided 
More and more, we're turning against our own, how come? How have we forgot? 
That this is the one thing they want us to do, to compensate for the freedom we ain't got 

Some mug old folk and these are scum 
It's the one main thing that just isn't done 
We can deal perfectly with our own problems 
By taking the law into our hands 
We can protect our own, young, the weak and elderly 
And therefore smash their callous plans 

I shall not work to build my death, nor have decisions made by fools for my or your behalf 
As though I can't see or hear that which surrounds me 
As though I'm quite content with all that, disgusts me 
I will not build for another's gain, although it always ends up the same 
It's as though I can't see or hear, as though I'm content, with everything that disgusts me 

How can they talk about low life, whilst they're destroying the earth? 
How can they take away someone's freedom, when they don't know what it's worth? 
To the people with feelings, to those not totally succeeding 
Those, shattered, torn, ripped right in half, and whose broken hearts are bleeding 

Yet still they bash and batter, to them, mad onslaught does not matter 
They create society's whitewashed picture that everything is alright 
Then when people voice opinion and object, they show disgust, 
confusion and then demonstrate their might 

Don't you dare think for a moment, that it's only in a riot that we show we are discontent? 
It is with every so-called criminal act that we demonstrate our contempt 
You shove your outstanding promises, your respect; I only have respect for life 
That you destroy time and time again, then dismiss in your stride 

I'm still hoping for the hopeless and making excuses for the lawless