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The Bankers And The Diplomats

Malvina Reynolds
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OriginalUn'altra versione del brano, riscritta da Rod Sinclair e presente...
THE BANKERS AND THE DIPLOMATS

Last night, I had the strangest dream,
I saw a big parade, with ticker-tape galore,
And men were marching there the like [in the ranks]
I'd never seen before:

Oh, the bankers and the diplomats are going in the army:
Oh, happy day, I'd spend my pay to see them on parade,
Their paunches at attention and their stri-ped pants at ease -
They've gotten patriotic and they're going overseas.
We'll have to do the best we can and bravely carry on,
So we'll just keep the laddies here to manage while they're gone.

Oh, we hate to see them go!
The gentlemen of distinction in the army!

The bankers and the diplomats are going in the army
It seems a shame to keep them from the wars they love to plan,
We're all of us contented that they'll fight a dandy war -
They don't need propaganda they know what they're fighting for
They'll march away with dignity and in the best of form,
And we'll just keep the laddies [young folk] here
To keep [each other] the lassies warm.

The bankers and the diplomats are going in the army:
We'll have to make things easy, 'cause it's all so new and strange,
We'll give them silver shovels when they have to dig a hole,
And they can sing in harmony while answering the roll,
They'll eat their old K-rations from a hand-embroidered box,
And when they die, we'll bring 'em home and bury 'em in Fort Knox!

THE PARADE

The Military band is playing, come see the parade,
Wave and cheer our heroes as they bravely march away,
This time it's not the unemployed, the workers or the poor,
It's the captains of our industries who're marching off to war.

They're marching from the boardroom and from the stately home,
From their club and from the embassy we're proud to see them come,
It's their turn to lift the banner and to listen to the drum,
Younger men must stay at home and keep the lassies warm.

Hurray, Hurray, they're matching out today,
The Millionaires and bankers in the Army.

The millionaire director with a rifle in his hand,
Is off to face the enemy to defend his native land,
He likely won't be quite so fat when he comes back from war,
We know that he'll fight bravely, he knows what he's fighting for.

There goes the factory owner with the other wealthy men,
We'll keep the wheels a turning till they come home again,
Generals order generals to march and wheel and turn,
The men alas must stay at home, there's plenty to be done.

Hurray, Hurray, they're matching out today,
The Millionaires and bankers in the Army.

And there's the politician, who only yesterday
Was talking on the telly of the price we'd have to pay,
He looks a little paler now his words are not so fine,
He's realized that he's the one whose life is on the line.

Let's gather at the window, join the crowds that line the street,
They're waving to the soldiers marching to the beat,
This time it's not the unemployed, the workers or the poor,
It's the judges and the millionaires who're marching off to war.

Hurray, Hurray, they're matching out today,
The Millionaires and bankers in the Army.


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