That Ain't Right Is It? (No, That's All Wrong Mate)
By Blueville Groove
THAT AIN'T RIGHT IS IT? (NO, THAT'S ALL WRONG MATE!)
These cordite nights ... I choke to find some way ahead.
Shadows swirl like smoke along these streets we fear to tread.
Rat-a-tat-a-tat! A shot rings out - a man falls dead.
We crouch down low - the drones are flying overhead
Down at the arms fair it's full steam ahead!
Politicians and VIPs sleep in the same bed.
Potentates with a roll of cash want to check out the stash.
While our city is hanging by a thread
That ain't right, is it?
(No that's all wrong, mate!)
You fundamentalist preachers betray your faith.
Taking up killing to find a state of grace
And all the love of God - any God - has been laid to waste
You got the world locked up in your death embrace
And back at the arms fair, East and West share the same space!
Blood and oil all over their face - leaves a nasty trace -
Caviar and cluster bombs! - Goddam disgrace -
You bring shame on the whole human race!
That ain't right, is it?
(No, that's all wrong, mate!)
"We want to serve you - our people - in every way!
But times are tight - you'll have to take a cut in pay.
Save the planet? National Health? Education? No way!
That's with the board now - we got shareholders to pay!"
And down in the boardroom there are other games to play.
Fat cats sail their ships and twist the night away!
Arrogant gits, Incompetent shits,
Turn to us when it all goes wrong, to save the day!
That ain't right is it?
(No, that's all wrong mate!)
All wrong...
'That Ain't Right Is It? (No, That's All Wrong Mate)' written and performed by Blueville Groove ©℗(2014)
Line drawing by G Bud Swenson
Blueville Groove is in reality just a musical friendship between Dave Bliss and Adrian Milarski that has existed since both were members of a European touring band in 1979-80, and has continued ever since. It is chiefly a writing/recording partnership involving, in the first instance, themselves, though they are sometimes joined by other artists as individual projects demand.
There are just the two of us here, myself on keyboards and Adrian on guitars. The song itself, whilst not overtly about 'peace', is nevertheless very much against war and the various factors - the arms business, nationalism, religion, money interests etc - that promote and enable warfare to take place. It was written several years ago now, but sadly its relevance, and the imperative for other similar statements in any medium, never seems to fade.