A song for “Times Like These”

with Goanna’s Shane Howard and Redgum’s John Schumann

I never thought we’d be right back here

Living in the darkness, living with the fear

Forgotten where we came from, driftin’ in the mist

With the mainmast broken and the headsail ripped

They run with hares, they hunt with the hounds

They trample all over this sacred groundI listen for the outrage,

the shock horror howl

But i hardly hear a murmur or a sound …in times like these

The captain and the crew, they’re tearing up the chart

The sextant is broken and we can’t see the stars

On the southern skyline, there are storm clouds dark

We’re running out courage, we’re running out of heart.

I can’t believe that we’re back on our knees

Is there anybody out there, anybody please?

I just need something, something to believe

And someone to write me songs – for times like these

Down came the money men mounted on their thoroughbreds

Loudly denying what the rest of us can see

There goes the atmosphere, there go the seas

There goes all we fought for, dying by degrees

There go your rights and there go your wages

There goes everything you thought worth savin’

Fossil fools who don’t know what they’re doin’

Driving us all into the ruins of times like these

Once upon a time in a land like this

A fair go for all, was what we taught our kids

But now it’s make me a star on unreality tv

And spare me the awful the truth about times likes these

From Dondale to Manus Island detention

People are drowning in a sea of inattention

Hidden on islands, hidden out of sight

Behind razor wire just for wanting a life

Out of the darkness somebody called

Do people make decisions of conscience anymore?

But I hardly hear a murmur on the breeze

Can someone find me a cure for times like these

Times like these

In a land like this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syefDggkQxk