Linton Kwesi Johnson – Inglan Is A Bitch (1980)
Aus: Bass Culture
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England Is A Bitch
When I had just come to the town of London
I used to work in the underground
but working in the underground
you don’t get to know your way around.
England is a bitch
there’s no escaping it
England is a bitch
there’s no running away from it.
I got a little job in a big hotel
and after a while, I was doing quite well
they started me off as a dishwasher
but when I started making money, I didn’t turn into a clock watcher1
England is a bitch
there’s no escaping it
England is a bitch
no point in trying to hide from it.
When they give you your first wage packet2
first they rob it with a big tax bracket3
you have to struggle to make ends meet
and when you go to bed you just can’t sleep.
England is a bitch
there’s no escaping it
England is a bitch
and I don’t lie, I tell the truth.
I used to work digging ditches, when it was cold, no shit4
I was strong like a mule, but boy was I a fool
then after a while I stopped doing overtime
then after a while I just put down my tools.
England is a bitch
there’s no escaping it
England is a bitch
you have to know how to survive in it.
Well I did day work and I did night work
I did cleaning and duty work
they say that black men are very lazy
but if you see how I work you would say I’m crazy.
England is a bitch
there’s no escaping it
England is a bitch
you better face up to it.
They have a little factory up in Brackley
in this factory all they do is pack crockery
for the last fifteen years they got my labor
now after fifteen years I’ve fallen out of favor.
England is a bitch
there’s no escaping it
England is a bitch
there’s no running away from it.
I know they have work, work in abundance
yet still, they make me redundant
now, at fifty five I’m getting quite old
yet still, they sent me for unemployment5 .
England is a bitch
there’s no escaping it
England is a bitch
what are we gonna do about it?