THEY
(In Darkness There Is No Choice - LP, 1983, Spiderleg Records)
Who are these people who believe they have the right
The knowledge and the wisdom to impose their barbaric way of life
Upon you and l and others in this world
Which itself belongs to all of us or haven’t they fuckin’ heard?
Who are these people who support the cause of war
And use their false morality and label it as law
Who are these people who change happiness to pain
And turn the suffering of one into another’s so called gain
Who are these people who wreak starvation and disease
And who are these people who build their systems based on greed
Who are these people who create aggression, fear and hate?
And then use them as tools to keep all others in their place
We have created all greed and all hate
For we are as one and so must all take the blame
We are pleading for heaven whilst accepting this hell
We’re asking for liberty whilst repressing ourselves
We are controlled by outsiders to whom we pledge our support
By our silence and acceptance we too are at fault
We sit and we suffer and worse believe its ok
Or we scream till we die but it wont go away
We may advocate peaceful or armed revolutions
But all we create are more institutions
To bind us and blind us and tell us we’re free
To restrict and confine us within "normality"
Well freedom is internal or haven’t you sussed
To possess freedom of mind is the first forward thrust
And normal, what’s normal but a lie and a con
The most overcrowded prison where no-one belongs
The thought police are with us, they have been for years
They’ve standardised values with their weapons of fear
Fear of being pointed at of not blending with the crowd
We’ll state we’re individuals but never too loud
We’re frightened and scared of the extent of our plight
And we hide in the darkness when presented with light
We’ve polluted and poisoned and mistreated this land
We’ve tamed all the animals but failed to tame ‘man’
We eliminate the symptom rather than the cause
We're all the disease but we're also the cure
The rich and the poor and the weak and the strong
The black and the white and the old and the young
For givers and takers and daughters and sons
For good against evil our work has begun
We must all stand together to rid this world of war
And of want and of suffering so open your door
To harmony to unity, to equality, to sharing
Start breathing, start feeling, start living, start caring
We can reach new horizons of trust and respect
We can live hand in hand and let peace take effect
We can open our hearts to compassion and love
We can open the cage that imprisons the dove
We can open our minds to be alive and be free
We can take down our barriers and reveal the true WE
There is no them and us
There’s only you and me
________________________________________________________________
THE WORLD'S BIGGEST RUNT
(In Darkness There Is No Choice - LP, 1983, Spiderleg Records)
An animal has a heart and flesh that is precious
But obviously more to man than animal
An animal is a life. It has a body, a mind
And is it forever and ever to be abused by mankind
At peace in its field, but when human comes near
It cowers away and it trembles with fear
Because it knows that at some point in its life
Man will lead it to fate with the blade of his knife
Eat your pet puppy, what a cruel thing to say
But lead a lamb to slaughter and of course that’s ok
From blood soaked death house to well gr(k)illed meal
What right do you offer for the life that you steal
Meat in the restaurant…medium or rare?
How did it get there? Too few really care
Animal for breakfast. Animal for tea
Animal for supper. Well who cares? WE!
Picture the family, knives in their hands
All waiting for mummy to produce the dead lamb
Expectant and hungry to chew on its flesh
Little Sue dosen’t like meat. But mummy knows best
She’ll tell Sue of protein because that’s all that she sees
Mummy’s unaware of blood and heart disease
There’s millions starving because there’s meat on the table
But try and tell mummy and she’ll dismiss it as fable
Animals in cosmetics, animals to eat
Animals fill stomachs, but a life is not meat
Animals imprisoned and encaged for our pleasure
Used and abused as mere toys for our leisure
Destroyed and tortured in mans laboratory
Humiliated and stripped of all dignity
Dissected and burned and poisoned to death
And what is the reason? So one may add to ones wealth
Animals for clothing, animals for meals
But what right do you offer for the lives that you steal?
Animals to shoot at, animals to hunt
Definition of human……………………………………
We completely denounce the barbaric belief that to slaughter so called lesser species for profit should be viable and morally acceptable.To take the life of any living creature, we see as being totally unacceptable .Deeming ourselves as the most intelligent species, we appear to have reached the conclusion that all other species are expendable. This archaic way of thinking, has led to both the extinction and near extinction of hundreds of species of animal during our short time on earth. What we are faced with is a complete reassessment of our whole moral standards. Not only do we use animals to achieve our own ends, we also seem to believe that it is our natural right to do so.
________________________________________________________________
EDUCATION OR INDOCTRINATION
(In Darkness There Is No Choice - LP, 1983, Spiderleg Records)
Poor little jimmy, it’s his first day at school
He doesn’t know the answer so he’s told he’s the fool
"Stand in the corner you stupid little boy
our question must be answered or we’ll take away your toys"
Teacher’s got his views on the way you’ve got to be
(You may have your own opinion as long as you don’t disagree with me)
Teacher knows what’s best, remember teacher’s always right
The teacher is this system and this system rules your life
Defiant little fucker he won’t wear the uniform
So headmaster gets the cane out to ensure that he conforms
Everybody else must wear the shirt and tie they say
If you insist on being different we’ll have you taken away
Poor little jimmy they’ve forced him to obey
He doesn’t like school so he’s absent for a day
One day grows to two days then it’s for a week
Teacher contacts mummy says jimmy’s playing hide and seek
Mummy’s so distraught she says "I’ve given him all l can"
All Jimmy wants is freedom but she doesn’t understand
All her life she was told that if she didn’t tow the line
She would end up just like daddy and daddy’s doing time
Meanwhile little jimmy’s confused he’s in despair
Mummy says she loves him as he’s taken into care
She can’t hold back the tears as she waves her son goodbye
Poor jimmy’s disillusioned and he too breaks down and cries
Poor little child they’ve forced him to obey
He wouldn’t wear the uniform so they’ve had him locked away
Teacher knows what’s best for you, Teacher’s always right
The teacher is the system and this system rules your life
________________________________________________________________
IN DARKNESS
(In Darkness There Is No Choice - LP, 1983, Spiderleg Records)
Gazing out through the bars of sanction and right
Enclosed in your prisons of anonymous life
Offering but glimpses of who you can be
Alive with no vision yet pretending to see
In darkness there is no choice
Come out of your cupboards, you boys and you girls
Come out and play it’s time to unfurl
Take off your masks and lay down your shields
Without your deceit you could make living real
In darkness there is no choice
Abandoning reason you substitute faith
In others in darkness and thus seal your fate
Accepting the path that failure has spawned
Pathetic, frightened you’re sold to the norm
In darkness there is no choice
Living the illusion of pretending you care
Revolving in spirals, locked in despair
You refuse to acknowledge the strength of your will
You’ll suck us down with you as you slide down the hill
In darkness there is no choice
________________________________________________________________
HERESY
(In Darkness There Is No Choice - LP, 1983, Spiderleg Records)
What is your purpose
Who is your god
Who owns your mind
What path do you follow
For whom do you speak
Which mask do you wear
Who draws your line
What is your weakness
Where lies your love
What are your dreams
Where are your standards
What keeps you going
How large is your prison
What breeds your hate
Where do you hide
Where are your strengths
What are your nightmares
When do you cry
How high are your walls
What is your weapon
How far can you see
What is your truth
Where are your values
What brings you joy
For whom do you bleed
Which way do you turn
Who carries your burden
How large is your prison
How deep is your search
Who is your slave
How bright is your flame
Where is your future
What do you offer
What are your barriers
Who owns your mind
What is your shield
What do you steal
What is your justice
Who is your martyr
Where is your corner
What is your liberty
What is your peace
What is your purpose
Where lies your faith
Why was your past
Who do you oppress
Why do you care
What is your bondage
What do you use
How high are your walls
Where is your reason
Where is your enemy
How much can you take
What is your wisdom
What breeds your hate
For whom do you suffer
What is your scapegoat
What do you argue
Why is your fear
What is your cause
What is your answer
How long have you got
What is the time
It’s the time for change
________________________________________________________________
CHANNEL ZERO (REALITY)
(In Darkness There Is No Choice - LP, 1983, Spiderleg Records)
We call it television. It could be used as the greatest form of mass communication of knowledge that exists in the present day. However what we see on our screens is merely a very acute reflection of the path that mankind has taken in ‘his’ short and somewhat erratic existence. Is it not ironic that the knowledge and technology that brought forth this marvellous invention could not be put to further use in the field of eliminating some of the struggles that stand before the progression of humanity? For example - learning to live in true cohesion with our environment and ridding ourselves of the burdens of poverty, inequality and greed Like many other ‘advancements‘ in the practice of human science.Television has been put to use in a wholly retrogressive way. Far from enhancing the qualities of life, it's possible benefits have been largely overlooked. What we are left with is the mirror image of our own shallow and pretentious little ‘worlds’. We laugh, we cry, we feel hatred, we feel love as we absorb ourselves within the characters portrayed on the screen. Whereas if we were to take a step sideways we might recognise the characters as being several shades of ourselves. Television, to most, is regarded as a primary source of entertainment rather than one of many possible forms of education or enlightenment. We allow ourselves to switch our own minds off as we plug into that of another. On the whole television does nothing more than put into prospective our own shortcomings
Turn away from the cathode ray and face reality…
A world of greed, pretence and fear and misery
The focal point of view is the means for our escape
And until we realise this problem the show remains the same
Channel Zero - Reality
________________________________________________________________
HALLO THERE, HOW'S LIFE?
(In Darkness There Is No Choice - LP, 1983, Spiderleg Records)
Look into the depths of your own beings. Seek out the truth
Realise it in yourselves. For you will find it nowhere else
________________________________________________________________
YET THEY STILL IGNORE
(In Darkness There Is No Choice - LP, 1983, Spiderleg Records)
"It’s a shame about the third world
They’re starving at our feet"
Are you sure you’ve quite alright now George?
Have you had enough to eat?
There’s lots and lots of stew left
It’s over there on the shelf.
Are you sure you’ve had enough now?
Well you can always help yourself."
Yet they still ignore
Wallmart’s got a sale on
"How about a treat?"
Says hubby to the wife
As they’re walking down the street
They’ve got so much to choose from
That they don’t know what to get
Maybe an electric toothbrush
Or another cutlery set….
And still the minutes tick away
Another hour off another day
Silence as the world is blind
To the suffering of humankind
People starve all over the world
The voice of hunger but few have heard
Some they laugh whilst others cry
Some gain wealth, others die
They’ll buy a brand new toilet seat
That’ll match the nice new loo
"Have you got a red one?
Oh well, we’ll paint the bathroom blue.
How about one of these?
I’m not quite sure what it’s for
But we have a couple on the mantelpiece,
And I’d really like one more"
Yet they still ignore
"How about a nice big joint?
Aunt Lucy’s coming to dinner.
Oh look George it’s a chuckie roast
It’s got to be a winner"
They’ll lavish it with mint sauce
Finish off with apple pie
Then they’ll sit in front of the big square screen
And let their conscience die
And yet they still ignore
________________________________________________________________
THE BUCK STOPS HERE
(In Darkness There Is No Choice - LP, 1983, Spiderleg Records)
Is life better than death?
If so, then surely peace must be better than war
If suffering is something that nobody wants
then why should it escalate more?
Are we really so afraid we have to close our eyes
And ignore these things exist
Until people are prepared to cast away their greed
War and poverty will always exist
Some of us believe that it’s more important
To feed the banker before the poor
And some are not quite sure just what they want
But they’re positive that they want more
Conflict in the name of peace
As we declare war again and again
Seems to be that the politics of power
Are brutal murder equals material gain
Why are we content to ride the wave?
Whilst forgetting about the storm
And why must the hand that delivers the child
Seek to strangle the unborn
Some people bath in affluence
Wealth in wallet but not in mind
Divorced from want and oblivious to
The unfortunates of humankind
And meanwhile, half a world away
A baby cries dying of hunger
Its tiny body ravaged with disease
An old man falls to his knees
Embracing a blood stained corpse that once carried life
The battered corpse is his wife
A grief stricken mother turns silently from a window
As she awaits her son who’ll never return
Another victim of another's cause
Obscenity….War
In the playground wide eyed children play war games
Whilst on the other side of the street real war continues
Guns and bombs as toys
Or the real macoy
Men pointing rifles out of armoured cars
Creates tension, causes bloodshed
And we fool ourselves, as some of us believe that this is peace
A grain of rice a day
Keeps malnutrition at bay….Bollocks!
Most, so called, aid to the third world
Comes in the form of weapons
Well I’m sorry mate but something’s gone wrong
If we seriously believe that guns and bombs preserve life
Seems to us that the opposite is true
Weapons create wealth only for the arms dealers
And not those existing in the third world
Is it really ok to make money out of death
Civilisation? We’re but a fucking joke
We’ll never find peace unless we find ourselves
But it’s late and it’s getting very dark outside
When we are confronted with obstacles in our path towards
a more compassionate and wholesome way of life.
Too often, we pass the blame onto someone or something else.
We do this in order to remove the burden from ourselves and thus
We distort the problem rather than solve it.
The ends we reach for cannot be achieved unless we find in ourselves
what we desire to see throughout the world.
An awareness of what we are doing and where it is leading us is the first major obstacle we must overcome.
Not until we have reached this stage and found our own way through it can we further
our own personal progress.
It is then that we may reflect on what we see and if necessary, make efforts to change ourselves.
When we have learnt to recognise the strength that lies within each and every one of us.
The foundations for a truly harmonious world will have been laid.
When we have learnt to use this strength to its full advantage. When we have learnt to share it with those who have not yet found it within themselves.
We may then and only then, begin to pull ourselves up from this quagmire of carnage.
And really set forth on the path towards a peaceful co existence for all to share.
Together we can change the world, but time is running out and the buck stops with you
________________________________________________________________
TORTURED AND ABUSED
(In Darkness There Is No Choice - LP, 1983, Spiderleg Records)
I am an animal strapped to a chair
Nobody helps me because nobody cares
Humanity injects and injects me again
Why am I subjected to this unbearable pain
Why …….Why must I die
I am an animal fed with disease
Forever I yearn for the joy of release
Throughout my existence I’ve been abused and confused
I wish they’d destroy me, I’ve nothing to lose
Why…….Why must I die
I am an animal, with wires in my head
Sometimes I think I'd be better off dead
Humanity is allowed to kill me or damage my brain
Why am I subjected to this unbearable pain
Why…….Why must I die
I am an animal. Is life so unfair
They’ve stolen my innocence and replaced it with fear
They’ve poisoned my bloodstream and tortured my mind
Why am I punished when I have committed no crime
Why…….Why must I die
________________________________________________________________
OUT FROM THE VOID (PART 1)
(Out From The Void - 7" EP, 1985, Endangered Musik)
Clawing your way up the walls
Holding the key but never finding the door
Locked on the inside you remain
Struggling to break from the ties
Almost there but you still compromise
Joining hands but you're still on your own at midnight
Sucked in by the flow of the tide
Whatever the circles it's the easier ride
But in doing so you sacrifice yourself
Fear of being out on your own
Fear of setting foot out on the great unknown
Binds you to captivity. You create your chains
Freedom is not out of reach
But one must must learn before one may teach
That liberation is dependent upon your honesty
Whatever you desire to do. Whatever you want. Whatever is you
Live by your standards, your law
Listen and try to understand
The feelings within these lines
Our strengths, our hopes, our anger
Our will to stay alive
Desperate to communicate
The beauty of our dreams
Wanting but never knowing
If our message is received
________________________________________________________________
OUT FROM THE VOID (PART 2)
(Out From The Void - 7" EP, 1985, Endangered Musik.
(Re-recorded and re-released as 2011-12 Tour 10" single)
Caught in the web of the shit you create
Seen it before yet you still take the bait
Hope, future, poisoned by fear
Secure in the vacuum that sits in your mind
Too fucking frightened to venture outside
Hope, future, poisoned by fear
Down in the depths of the void you remain
Breaking the rules but still playing the game
Hope, future, poisoned by fear
Anguish, screaming
Tears shed make whirlpools in rivers of blood
Alone in the crossfire, fear tearing at your heart
Close your eyes
Nothing is seen
Except the darkness
Desperately you cling
To your illusions of security found in layers of wealth
Turning away from the carnage but you'll never escape 'cos it's real
Close your eyes
Nothing is seen
Accept the darkness
________________________________________________________________
4 MINUTES PAST MIDNIGHT
(Written 1982. Released as 2011-12 Tour 10" single)
I heard your screams as the blast tore through your face
I watched in silence as denial laid the world to waste
I saw the light dissappear as the sun turned grey
I was a silent witness to the end of days
4 Minutes Past Midnight
I watched the dreams of generations turn to nightmares
I am a witness to the thoughts that were too much to bear
I felt the hatred for the people that we became
I felt the bitterness and anger, the angst, the pain
4 Minutes Past Midnight
I looked into your eyes for some compassion for the world we shared
You stared right back at me and told me that you didn't care
________________________________________________________________
BLACK
(Written 2016. Released as YouTube Video in January 2017)
I'm a black booted deviant
From a blackened state
An incendiary dissident
Primed to detonate
I wear the black cloth
Hold the black cross
I bleed the bane black blood
I'm a black jacket refugee
From a charcoal world
A black mouth spitting blacksphemy
The voce of the unheard
I'll hoist the black flag
Raise the black star
I bare the bane black mark
I am a consequence of all that's gone before me, both the symptom and the underlying cause. I don't pretend to know the answers to the questions I raise, but as long as my heart beats I won't stop looking for solutions to the reasons why the people I love are forced to live a life that tears a hole in them. I can't believe in a society that values wealth over equality and power over love.No amount of pacifying bullshit can reduce me to a hollow tool to be manipulated. I won't serve the agenda of a world order that exists solely for the good of itself. My blackened cloth is my symbol of resistance, a reminder to myself of the person I am. I hold my faith not in this hell or the heavens but the certainty that tells me that anything can change.