Comrade Jesus Christ

He was born an Asian Minor
Colonized Jewish man
His dad a carpenter
This was occupied land
Apprentice to his father's trade
His country paid its dues
To the Romans he was
Just a working class Jew

Conceived three months out of wedlock
The stigma never stuck
Began a three year public life
And never made a buck
Spoke against injustice
'Cause it was there he saw
He saw how capitalism bled the poor

Attacking those self righteous hypocrites
And what's more
Condemned the lawyers' law
Even at their front door
But they've commercialized his birthday now
The people that he defied
And they've sanctified their system
Claiming that he's on their side!

But if he crossed the floor tomorrow
How many of them would follow?
Staring down their bosses
And even if he had to pay the highest cost
These agitators getting nailed to the cross
And labeled radicals
Left wing fanaticals

But left or right
He'd still be standing side by side
With the ones who leaders try to hide
Out on suburban housing estates
To be forgotten
Kept the oppressed and down trodden
Break bread with the bottom rung
A lot of songs have sung
To try to save their souls from church pews
The same hypocrites who turn his words around and curse you

And use the scripture just to justify their own greed
Puritans with closed eyes see what they want to see
They call police with the bullet to enforce the peace
Or CCTV cameras on the corner of every street
Prevail against their false wars
Using terror to define us
Taking our freedom to
Spy on us

He'd fight with Joe Hill and Ashrawi and Mandela
Friere Noel pearson
Rohan Gillies and Lex Valencia
He'd feed the hungry and
He'd work with HIV
Understand the dispossessed and undernourished needs

Flee from shantytown to Campbelltown town
Amidst the people
A voice for the voiceless
And those without choices face bulldozers and battle tanks
A leader on bail
He'd fight the conservatives
And rot in their jails
He'd denounce what it takes
And demonization
Ignorance and exploitation
A fortress mentality
Rogue states and hate
And sales of yellow cake
Increased in de-formative rates

And he'd be known on the streets
Of sex workers and smack
And those with glass homes would cast
Stones in his back
All compassionate
And agitatin' for change
The world remember his name

He'd denounce dictators
Even if they're allies
Even those in democratic disguise
And if he crossed the floor tomorrow
How many of them would follow?
Exchange hate with brave face

He'd stand on street corners
Where he's needed most
And offer truth
And give them hope
All compassionate
And agitated for change
The world remembered his name
The world remembered his name

He'd condemn all corruption
He'd question lawmakers
Topple hierarchies
And be labeled a savior
See status and title as dominance in the politics of greed
Filling pockets while the populace bleeds

He'd fight against the racist hoards
Whether it be out on the streets of Cronulla
Or behind the boardroom doors
Or parliament floors
From skinheads with flags
To one nation
And all them talk back radio stations

Standing up against the leagues of the Ku Klux Klan
A fundamentalist
The radical right
Make demands
A socialist of a humanitarian strand
None have been like
Comrade Jesus Christ