This classic by John Lennon came onto my Spotify playlist today. I was really listening to the lyrics, and thinking - not much has changed in the last 50 years! This song was from 1970.
As soon as you're born they make you feel small
By giving you no time instead of it all
Till the pain is so big you feel nothing at all
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be
They hurt you at home and they hit you at school
They hate if you're clever and despise a fool
Till you're so fucking crazy you can't follow their rules
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be
When they've tortured and scared you for twenty odd years
Then they expect you to pick a career
When you can't really function you're so full of fear
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be
Keep you doped with religion and sex and TV
And you think you're so clever and classless and free
But you're still fucking peasants as far as I can see
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be
There's room at the top they are telling you still
But first you must learn how to smile as you kill
If you want to be like all the folks on the hill
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be
If you want to be a hero well just follow me
If you want to be a hero well just follow me
This verse particularly resonated with me today:
When they've tortured and scared you for twenty-odd years
Then they expect you to pick a career
When you can't really function you're so full of fear
When I see our mainstream media still peddling fear, we train our youth to be scared, then wonder why they're having anxiety issues, panic attacks and depression in ever increasing numbers.
A medicated society is a compliant society.
A fearful society is a complaint society.
And this lyric
Keep you doped with religion and sex and TV
Amen brother.
