Who Will Speak For Me
Do you remember a time
When chimneys rose so tall
Over every crossroads town
There were jobs for one and all
The politicians couldn’t wait
To shake each calloused hand
By the midnight factory gate
Praising the working woman and man
Who will speak for, speak for me
Who will speak for, speak for you
Who will stand for, stand for me
Who will stand for, stand for you
Like a house long neglected
Our lives have fallen away
Those who lined their pockets with our votes
Have nothing helpful to do or to say
No, it’s take from this to give to that
And bleed the cupboard bare
They spit the future our your face
And leave us hanging by a prayer
Like a dream drowned in silence
We are prisoners of our fears
While those who left us dangling
Hold steady jobs all year
You can shake their hand or shake your fist
But time will not be stayed
Like factories gone to ruin
Like shadows on parade
Like a fighter hit too often
We are dazed down to the floor
But think before you count us out
We’ve come back from worse before
And those who bought and sold us
Down the river of our hope
Will live to see the day they beg
For jobs and not for votes
Who will speak for, speak for me
Who will speak for, speak for you
Who will stand for, stand for me
Who will stand for, stand for you
You will speak for, speak for me
I will speak for, speak for you
You will stand for, stand for me
I will stand for, stand for you