Union Songs
The Economic Rationalist
A song by Dermot Dorgan©Dermot Dorgan 1998
I went to see a movie it was called "Jurassic Park"
A lot of folk were fightened as we sat there in the dark
"Well, did the movie scare you" they asked when I came out"
"Hell no!" I said. "there's much worse things than dinosaurs about"
I've seen a real live monster he's everywhere these days.
He's ripping up society in a thousand subtle ways
Dont be fooled if he seems friendly full of reason and goodwill
'Cause he makes Tyrannosaurus Rex look like Blinky Bill"
Refrain
He wears fine suits and his shoes are shiny
His ego's large but his brain is tiny
He goes to bed early and he never gets pissed
He's an Econornic Rationalist!
He's not the same as you or me
He believes in a God called GDP
He's got a Porsche and a place to park it
And he places all his faith in the market
He takes unsuspecting people. this deadly monster does.
He tums them into numbers and it gives him quite a buzz
He's got economic models and he feeds the numbers through.
And forgets that what he's dealing with is really me and you
He s not the sort of monster who has mighlyteeth and claws.
But he's good at crunchng numbers in his elecironic jaws
His weapon's the computer and the calculator too.
And if you don't look out. he'll make a number out of you!
Refrain:
He wears fine suits
He talks incomprehensible jargon
He's swapped his award for an enterprise bargain
He's got the key to the world's salvation
And the name of the key is privatisation.
This monster acts in ways thal are both dangerous and unhealthy
He believes in cutting taxes to "incentivate" the wealthy
But then he says "Equality's a thing we can't ignore".
So he slashes welfare payments to "incentivate" the poor
He thinks welfare should be privatised and governments made small
Community development he can't understand at all
He's into blaminq victims he's info "laissez faire".
Like a predatory destructive 1980s millionaire
Refrain:
He wears fine suits
He smiles at us all but he doesn't trust us
He don't know the meaning of social justice
He believes in a thing called "trickle down" theory -
It's collective economic hara-kiri!
You're bound to meet this monster - cause he isn't in the zoo
He's coming very shortly to a workplace close to you
Please don't attempt to fight him or you'll end up very dead
The only way to beat him is to laugh at him instead
I've seen a real live monster, he's everywhere these days.
He's ripping up society is a thousand subtle ways
Don't be fooled if he seems friendly full of reason and goodwill.
'Cause he makes Tyrannosaurus Rex look like Blinky Bill'
Refrain:
He wears fine suits
He's a dangerous prehistoric shark
He's a monster out of Jurassic Park
With just one very important distinction -
I'm afraid he's still a long way from extinction
Notes
Many thanks to Dermot Dorgan for permission to add this song to the Union Sons collection.
I heard Dermot sing this song on the ABC's Life Matters program on 17/03/98. By coincidence I met him at a party the following weekend and asked him for the words.
20th Century song collecting!Dermot has published a cassette of his songs "The Cockroach and the Vatican" which is available for $12.00 (plus $2.00 postage) from:
Dermot Dorgan
86 Northcote St.
Naremburn
NSW 2065
Australia
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union songs..........a selection by mark gregory