Comrade Jesus Christ - The Herd

He was born in Asia Minor

Colonised Jewish man

His dad a carpenter

This was occupied land

Apprentice to his fathers trade

His country paid its dues

To the Romans he was

Just a working class Jew

Conceived few months out of wedlock

The stigma never stuck

Began a three year public life

And never made a buck

Spoke against injustice

Because 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 commercialised his birthday now

The very 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 being labelled 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 have sung 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 the 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 Waleca

Mandela and FriereNoel 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 demonisation

Ignorance and exploitation

A fortress mentality

Rogue states and hate

And sales of yellow cake

Increased in deformative rates

And he’d be known on the streets

Of sex workers and smack

And those with glass homes would throw

Stones in his back

All compassionate

An agitator for change

The world remembered his name

He’d denounce dictators

Even if they were allies

Even those in democratic disguise

And if he crossed the floor tomorrow

How many of them would follow

Exchange hate with a brave face

He’d stand on street corners

Where he’s needed the most

And offer truth

And give them hope

All compassionate

An agitator for change

The world remembered his name

The world remembered his name

He’d condemn all corruption

He’d question all lawmakers

Topple hierarchies

And be labelled a saviour

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 on 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

No one has been like

Comrade Jesus Christ