Dinesh Moylan

It's a quiet well ordered sober tidy place
there's quiet desperation in every tired face
work too hard to make ends meet to question what we're told
from the cradle to the grave it's work until you're old.

There's anxious suspicious faces behind walls and iron gates
there's no connection to the land there's only real estate
Bars across the windows and locks upon the doors
hold on tight to what you've got while you're reaching out for more

Listen to a lie for long enough you start to think it's true
we only believe what we see and hear on the TV news
we don't question the way things are or what's going down
everybody knows their place in little johnny's town

All those women who once were out there roaming round wild and free
they're all safely home in the kitchen or doing the laundry
don't need much education to make a man's house his home
she'll have more time for part-time work once the kids have grown

Tell those kids to stand in line compete for every prize
teach them to forget defeat losers to despise
teach them guilt abiding fear of god and law and crown
everybody knows their place in little johnny's town

It's a place of rigid discipline unending tight control
phony smile upon the lips no windows to the soul
On Sunday the church is full of love for every sister and brother
the rest of the week they're trying their best to cheat and steal from each other

There's police with guns everywhere cameras and security
the price of eternal vigilance is freedom of speech and democracy
there's refugee kids behind razor wire who wouldn't see the error of their ways
neighbour watching neighbour, you can't trust anyone these days

Listen to a lie for long enough you start to think it's true
we only believe what we see and hear on the TV news
we don't question the way things are and what's coming down
we're all busy doing what we're told in little johnny's town

 

from the album - Beautiful Place