The Losing Side

From common grief to Bristol up in flames

We came here begging justice, instead we got the blame

For peace disturbed, out on the streets tonight

And watching on the BBC, you know something's not right

When mourners come with candles and with flowers

Wrestled three on one, and pinned down by the state's full powers

This is their world, and these have been the rules

For we have come to break it down with bloody fingernails for tools

This threat of violence

This tightrope wire

We can no longer bear it, we are all too fucking tired

No minutes' silence

We will sing higher

Don't tell us to light a candle, we have come to start a fire

And if I spend my life on the losing side

You can lay me down knowing that I tried

There's a better world and on a quiet day

When I hold my breath

I can hear her say

She is on her way

She is on her way

Safe at home, you watch it on TV

And never think that one day you could be the enemy

That you might one day be under attack

From all that should protect you, hoping someone has your back

The history books are screaming from the shelves

But no government who outlaws speaking to defend ourselves

Has good things planned, a storm ahead, I see

And no one of us will bear it without solidarity

Oh, I see trouble

All my days

This ailing, failing world sent signs

Of fire and flood and plague

But from the rubble

From the razed

The mightiest cathedral

From these ashes, we will raise

And if I spend my life on the losing side

You can lay me down knowing that I tried

There's a better world and on a quiet day

When I hold my breath

I can hear her say

Take heart my sisters

And this fire will never die

And take heart my comrades

And no one left behind

And if I spend my life on the losing side

You can lay me down knowing that I tried

There's a better world and on a quiet day

When I hold my breath

I can hear her say

And if I spend my life on the losing side

You can lay me down knowing that I tried

There's a better world and on a quiet day

When I hold my breath

I can hear her say

And if I spend my life on the losing side

You can lay me down knowing that I tried

There's a better world and on a quiet day

When I hold my breath

I can hear her say

She's on her way