Union Songs
Santo Santoro
A Song by John Tomlinson©John Tomlinson 2007
The Liberals are crazy, they scuttle back and forth, while Iraq is burning
and voters take flight as Labor hides its delight, their course is turning.
As the seagulls rest on the cold cannon nest, the sea is churning.
The seagulls have landed on the head of Santo Santoro.The working folk sweat, Work Choices regret and anger a-burning.
As share dealers hold sway at the end of the day, the rest of us mourning.
But the boy on the shore is throwing pebbles no more, he runs a-warning.
The seagulls have landed on the head of Santo Santoro.Aborigines wait, their chances not great, and consciences sleeping,
Howard and Brough yawn, opportunities gone, and children a-weeping.
While more troops land in far Afghanistan, and villagers dying,
the seagulls have landed on the head of Santo Santoro.The relentless sun dries up the last of the dams and the rivers,
the cloud of dust sows as climate change grows, and hopes are in slivers.
Uranium mined and false hopes outlined, whilst optimism withers.
The seagulls have landed on the head of Santo Santoro.Time for Liberals’ old tricks, their stories all fixed, but Labor is smiling,
because voters are tired, of the lies that were tried, and times are a-changing
the unemployed wait, to get in the gate, fed up with short-changing.
The seagulls have landed on the head of Santo Santoro.Refugees are detained, without reason constrained, razor wire compounding,
their anguish is heard, like the song of a bird with bravery resounding.
Justice denied, decency tried, and people’s rights confounding.
The seagulls have landed on the head of Santo Santoro.While women and Greens are building new dreams, hope is a-growing
that at the end of the day, the truth will hold sway, we’ll see rivers flowing.
As the Liberal light fades, we’ll be Jacks of all trades, when Liberals are going.
The seagulls have landed on the head of Santo Santoro.
Notes
Many thanks to John Tomlinson for permission to add this song to the Union Songs collection.
John writes:
"This song is inspired by and can be sung to the tune of 'The Marines Have Landed On The Shores Of Santo Domingo' written by Phil Ochs."For more of John's work: John Tomlinson
union songs..........a selection by mark gregory