To Have and to Have Not
Up in the morning and out to school
Mother says there'll be no work next year
Qualifications once the Golden Rule
Are now just pieces of paper
Just because you're better than me
Doesn't mean I'm lazy
Just because you're going forwards
Doesn't mean I'm going backwards
If you look the part you'll get the job
In last year's trousers and your old school shoes
The truth is son, it's a buyer's market
They can afford to pick and choose
Just because you're better than me
Doesn't mean I'm lazy
Just because I dress like this
Doesn't mean I'm a communist
The factories are closing and the army's full
I don't know what I'm going to do
But I've come to see in the Land of the Free
There's only a future for the chosen few
Just because you're better than me
Doesn't mean I'm lazy
Just because you're going forwards
Doesn't mean I'm going backwards
At twenty one you're on top of the scrapheap
At sixteen you were top of the class
All they taught you at school
Was how to be a good worker
The system has failed you, don't fail yourself
Just because you're better than me
Doesn't mean I'm lazy
Just because you're going forwards
Doesn't mean I'm going backwards
Mother says there'll be no work next year
Qualifications once the Golden Rule
Are now just pieces of paper
Just because you're better than me
Doesn't mean I'm lazy
Just because you're going forwards
Doesn't mean I'm going backwards
If you look the part you'll get the job
In last year's trousers and your old school shoes
The truth is son, it's a buyer's market
They can afford to pick and choose
Just because you're better than me
Doesn't mean I'm lazy
Just because I dress like this
Doesn't mean I'm a communist
The factories are closing and the army's full
I don't know what I'm going to do
But I've come to see in the Land of the Free
There's only a future for the chosen few
Just because you're better than me
Doesn't mean I'm lazy
Just because you're going forwards
Doesn't mean I'm going backwards
At twenty one you're on top of the scrapheap
At sixteen you were top of the class
All they taught you at school
Was how to be a good worker
The system has failed you, don't fail yourself
Just because you're better than me
Doesn't mean I'm lazy
Just because you're going forwards
Doesn't mean I'm going backwards
Credits
Writer(s): Stephen William Bragg
Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com
Link
Other Album Tracks
- A New England
- The Man in the Iron Mask
- The Milkman of Human Kindness
- To Have and to Have Not
- A Lover Sings
- St. Swithin's Day
- The Saturday Boy
- Between the Wars
- The World Turned Upside Down
- Levi Stubbs' Tears
All Album Tracks: Must I Paint You a Picture?: The Essential Billy Bragg >
Altri album
- The Roaring Forty (1983-2023) [Deluxe Edition]
- The Roaring Forty (1983-2023)
- My Youngest Son Came Home Today (with Michael Stipe)
- The Million Things That Never Happened
- Mid-Century Modern
- Can't Be There Today - Single
- Best of Billy Bragg at the BBC 1983 - 2019
- A New England (John Peel Session, 27th July 1983)
- Bridges Not Walls
- Saffiyah Smiles
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