Steve Laurie

Lyrics

John Henry (Words/Lyrics & Music by Steve Laurie, 2/19/06)

When the man is out to get you and the tyrant's at the door
When the taxman comes a callin', screaming he wants more
When the bad man flees the country with all of your RSPs
When the corporation tells ya that you ain't worth a sneeze
Just remember this John Henry, you can take it down to your grave
People by the dozen, always keep them coming, complicit in conspiracy
Taking and not giving but teaching you that living is something you ain't allowed to see

Pressure cooker, don't be lookin' where you ain't supposed to see
From Palestine to your New Jersey line of oil refineries
Self destruction or government corruption in Africa or Tennessee
This world is a boiling, trouble toiling, we need a pressure valve release
Just remember this John Henry, you can take it down to your grave
Power brings corruption, a market interruption might make the oil kings all plead
Fanatical direction, bondage to deception, the blindness is like a disease

Day by day the stench is lingering out there across the sea
Are we complicit in creating a global poverty
Give me twenty million for playing hoops while my brother's on the street
Teach me a lesson to cover my eyes; I can't know what I can't see
Just remember this John Henry, you can take it down to your grave
In a world of trouble you can join in on the double cause monkey do what monkey see
It takes a man of vision to rise above derision
Stand for something more than hate and greed