(1) tom robinson band power in the darkness – YouTube
We’re still fighting the same battles!!
The same people are in power!!
Shine the light on the corruption and fascist hypocrisy!
Scrutiny and accountability!!
Shine the light!
Power in the darkness!!
We need a bit of light. The Tories have taken all the bulbs!
The Tom Robinson Band were a defiant unit of protest.
Back in the dark days of Thatcher minority groups were under attack. Gays were being victimised by law. There were riots in the streets over the way minority groups were being harassed. There were fascists and racists marching on the streets with impunity. There were trade unions targeted and vilified. They were dark days for people who cared.
The Tom Robinson Band produced a superb pair of albums with hard hitting songs such as Power In The Darkness and Better Decide Which Side You’re on.
Tom Robinson Band – Power In The Darkness
Power in the darkness
Frightening lies from the other side
Power in the darkness
Stand up and fight for your rights
Freedom, we’re talking bout your freedom
Freedom to choose what you do with your body
Freedom to believe what you like
Freedom for brothers to love one another
Freedom for black and white
Freedom from harassment, intimidation
Freedom for the mother and wife
Freedom from Big Brother’s interrogation
Freedom to live your own life, I’m talking ’bout
Power in the darkness
Frightening lies from the other side
Power in the darkness
Stand up and fight for your rights
“Today, institutions fundamental to the British system of Government are under attack
the public schools, the house of Lords, the Church of England, the holy institution of Marriage, even our magnificent police force are no longer safe from those who would undermine our society, and it’s about time we said ‘enough is enough’ and saw a return to the traditional British values of discipline, obedience, morality and freedom.
What we want is
Freedom from the reds and the blacks and the criminals
Prostitutes, pansies and punks
Football hooligans, juvenile delinquents
Lesbians and left wing scum
Freedom from the niggers and the Pakis and the unions
Freedom from the Gipsies and the Jews
Freedom from leftwing layabouts and liberals
Freedom from the likes of you”
Power in the darkness
Frightening lies from the other side
Power in the darkness
Stand up and fight for your rights
Tom took the Punk rage and married it to good lyrics and politics.
In the days of the seventies when unemployment was rampant and the Tories ran their war against the Trade Unions, Gays, Liberals and anybody who cared. While she was busy making deals with Murdock and setting up the capitalist State with Reagan which would result in the financial crash and the emergence of the super-rich billionaires, some people were protesting.
This wasn’t a time for sitting on the fence. You were on one side or the other. It was easy:
Fairness, justice, tolerance and liberalism
Greed, selfishness, intolerance and winner takes all – scum to the wall
“Better Decide Which Side You’re On”
All you downtrodden people
Always bear the brunt
Just sit back on you fat backsides
Till you have to face the Front
Waiting till the bullyboys get you
Don’t make no kind of sense
And pretty soon there’ll be no room
For sitting on the fence
You better decide which side you’re on
This ship goes down before too long
If Left is right then Right is Wrong
You better decide which side you’re on
Too bad for the gay revolution
This is as far as we get
And if you think you’re free, well listen to me
You ain’t seen nothing yet
We’re all gonna feel the backlash
Of puritannical power
And kicking us down into the ground
Gonna be their Finest Hour
You better decide which side you’re on
The chips go down before too long
If Left is right then Right is Wrong
You better decide which side you’re on
Too late, trendy thinkers
Your time is running out
Ain’t no time to wonder why
Ain’t no time for doubt
Joseph, Reed and Whitehouse
Are out to get your guts
You better decide which side you’re on
Forget those ifs and buts