Jim's Note:
I was looking for a song to enter in the ‘Working Life’ section of the
Victor Harbor Songwriting Event in 1998 (read
what the judges said...), and knew I had a song with this theme
that I had written many years ago while living in London. I spent ages
trying to find the exercise book I wrote the song in, but to no avail. So
in desperation I decided to rewrite it, and Don't Sell Us Pipe Dreams
is the result.
As usual, months later I eventually found the songbook in a box in the
back room while looking for an old stereo microphone. I’m pleased to say
that this version of the song is much better than the original. However, I
never did find that microphone!
The sentiments in this song are pretty self-evident. A brief comment on
this verse may be appropriate… "You know Truth is a virtue. Yes’n
Patience is too/But I’m tired of waiting. Well, how about you?"
This refers to the former Federal Liberal Minister for (un)employment,
Senator Amanda Vanstone, who, when discussing unemployment figures in 1997
made the comment that the unemployed and the community in general, would
have to exercise some patience with regard to the level of jobs growth, or
lack of same.
|
American
Dream is available online through FolkTrax
(in Australia); |
Don’t Sell
Us Pipe Dreams
© 1997, Jim Lesses. All Rights
Reserved.
Click to Hear the Song
| Chord chart
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Buy The Song
I was born in an age, when a
man had to work, and work I did.
I worked hard for a wage; tried to build a good life for my wife and kids.
You know I took it for granted. I never thought I would be,
Unemployed and unwanted. Well, poor fool me!
They said, Choose a career, learn a good trade, and you
can’t go wrong.
Buy a house and a car, you've got nothing to fear, it’s yours for a
song.
You know I swallowed that story. I took hook line and all.
And just like many before me, I went down for a fall.
Sell me a pipe dream. Sell me it all.
Sell me the future, and watch as I fall.
I make the payments, and follow the plan,
But I’m treading water as fast as I can.
For too many years, I have taken the bait, and the lying
schemes.
Now I stand in a line; wait for a cheque, counting broken dreams.
You know, Truth is a virtue. Yes and Patience is too.
But I’m tired of waiting. Well, how about you?
Work for a living. Work for the dole.
Building a future. Digging a hole.
I’m getting deeper and deeper in debt.
Searching for answers that I won’t regret.
Well the kids have all grown, they’re out on their own,
tryin’ to make or break.
And I’m hoping they learn, to take what they earn, not make my mistake.
You know it’s never been easy. Sometimes you have to fight.
But it’s there for the taking, and it’s yours by right,
Shoot for your own dreams. Aim for them all.
Look to the future. Maybe you’ll fall,
Taking control of your own life and fate,
Facing the challenge without fear and hate.Don’t Sell Us Pipedreams. Don’t sell us at all.
Give us a future. We’ll rise to the call.
Taking control of our own lives and fate,
Facing the challenge without fear and hate.
Facing the challenge without fear and hate.
NOTES: This song is on a three song CD-R called, Celebrating May Day: The Activists Speak released May, 2002, by the South Australian May Day Committee. Listen to an MP3 of this song...
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