Nellie McKay Follow

And when the dawn breaks through the drums start
beating the morning to the farm
your grimace widens and your lips part
sounding the silent alarm
and when the bells explode they scatter
hitching a hand unto the breeze
the grand bureaucracy grows fatter
whistling the old melodies

oh-ee-oh goes the Buckingham jewel guard
oh-ee-oh goes the cop on the beat
oh-ee-oh goes the kid in the schoolyard
oh-ee-oh goes the kid on the street
Hey man what's happenin' with you?
I watched that episode too
maybe I'll get some Chinese
I'll have the dumplings
no MSG please

And when the night breaks through they wonder
if all they lost was self-respect
they pass the homes of greed and plunder
still, ling'ring on, the disconnect

oh-ee-oh sittin' down for the evening
oh-ee-oh through the civil earthquake
oh-ee-oh safe in bed and they're dreamin'
heaven knows if they'll ever awake

Yeah I'll have my coffee black
hey look we're bombing Iraq
I guess that's the only way
oh did I tell you we got Fifi spayed?
and when they get to work they hear drums
the boom fills all the empty space
they file papers lada-dee-dum
trimming their shoebox with lace

oh-ee-oh but there's somethin' a growin'
oh-ee-oh through the bustle and hiss
oh-ee-oh fuck the lawns that need mowin'
oh-ee-oh there is somethin' amiss
oh-ee-oh oh-ee-oh oh-ee-oh
oh-ee-oh-ee-oh-ee-oh