I Don't Speak Newspeak.

I can get the bigger picture from the window seat of an aeroplane,
and I could fly around the world with all the ideas I’d entertain,
but it’s normal to feel pressure with the buildings rising tall
and forget what you can see is hardly anything at all.
The artificial lights obscure the stars,
but who’s trying to see that far?
When we’re judging our happiness on what other people earn
or listening to anchormen as they raise new concerns -
it’s poison and we’re hooked on it;
we’re settled; this is home.

I dreamed a slick man in a well-pressed suit who thought that he was free
but after years of bending his back and the truth he had an epiphany.
He removed his tie - it always seemed too tight around his neck -
then walked home and burrowed through heaps of cash to find his self respect.
He replaced his black ink pens
with sets of coloured crayons.
But I’m not doing myself favours with these promising pipe dreams
‘cause I had another where that miserable man was letting off some steam
in an alley with a young girl,
indifferent to her screams.

So I try to do my best but I don’t do all I can do.
Our one hope is that these rotten apples’ seeds yield finer fruit;
that each soldier sees his brother's face no matter where he points his gun
and the children abandon our trite pursuits in search of real freedom.
We should clear the path of our debris
to make their passage easy
‘cause right now the future isn’t looking so good for the kids
they’re cherry cheeked and doe eyed or living spoilt on benefits
and when half the world’s on fire
they will cheer and wave their flags.

It’s just a natural reaction; if I’m frightened I will run
and I’ll embrace the dangers that await over the horizon.
And perhaps no matter how far we go the borders will subside
but we’ll have lived without our fetters and be contented when we die.
So baby let’s go right away
‘cause I know that if we choose to stay
our futures will be typed out for us up on PC screens.
The countless flashing cursors cause me great unease,
and there’s no way of slowing it,
this cannon ball rolls on.