Waiting For The Great Leap Forwards
Billy Bragg| Original | 2003 Version / La versione del 2003 |
| WAITING FOR THE GREAT LEAP FORWARDS It may have been Camelot for Jack and Jacqueline But on the Che Guevara highway filling up with gasoline Fidel Castro's brother spies a rich lady who's crying Over luxury's disappointment So he walks over and he's trying To sympathise with her but he thinks that he should warn her That the Third World is just around the corner In the Soviet Union a scientist is blinded By the resumption of nuclear testing and he is reminded That Dr Robert Oppenheimer's optimism fell At the first hurdle In the Cheese Pavilion and the only noise I hear Is the sound of someone stacking chairs And mopping up spilt beer And someone asking questions and basking in the light Of the fifteen fame filled minutes of the fanzine writer Mixing Pop and Politics he asks me what the use is I offer him embarrassment and my usual excuses While looking down the corridor Out to where the van is waiting I'm looking for the Great Leap Forwards Jumble sales are organised and pamphlets have been posted Even after closing time there's still parties to be hosted You can be active with the activists Or sleep in with the sleepers While you're waiting for the Great Leap Forwards One leap forward, two leaps back Will politics get me the sack? here comes the future and you can't run from it If you've got a blacklist I want to be on it It's a mighty long way down rock 'n roll From Top of the Pops to drawing the dole If no one out there understands Start your own revolution and cut out the middleman In a perfect world we'd all sing in tune But this is reality so give me some room So join the struggle while you may The Revolution is just a T-shirt away Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards | WAITING FOR THE GREAT LEAP FORWARDS THE GREAT LEAP FORWARDS 2003 revised lyrics It might have been Camelot for Jack and Jacqueline But on the Che Guevara highway filling up with gasoline Donald Rumsfeld’s brother spies a rich lady who’s crying Over luxury’s disappointments, so he walks over and he’s trying to sympathize with her But he thinks he should warn her that the B-52’s are flying In the former Soviet Union the citizens demand To know why they’re still the target of Strategic Air Command And they shake their fists in anger and respectfully suggest We take the money from our missiles and spend it on our hospitals instead The Cold War is over, but the stakes are getting higher I’m frightened of collateral damage and of friendly fire And I don’t believe we can defeat no axis of evil By putting smart bombs in the hands of dumb people Mixing pop and politics, they ask me what the use is I offer them my acupuncturist and my masseuses While looking down the corridor out to where my bus is waiting I’m looking for the new world order… Jumble sales are organized, all my mates got fat, Even after all this time, you can still send me a fax You can be active with the activists or sleeping with the Major While you’re waiting for the great leap forwards And it’s one leap forward, two leaps back Who gave Hugo Chavez the sack? Waiting for the great leap forward And it’s two leaps forward, one leap back Look out Hugo Chavez is back Waiting for the great leap forwards In a perfect world we all sing in tune But their ain’t nobody that can sing like me Waiting for the great leap forwards Well here comes the future And you can’t run from it If you’ve got a tattoo, I want to be on it Waiting for the great leap forwards So join the struggle while you may The revolution is just a flyer’s place away Waiting for the great leap forwards |
