They told me the devil wore a blue rosette©️

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V6-MINI

[Verse 1 – Slow, deliberate, every bar lands]
They told me the devil wore a blue rosette
So I voted red
And I've been paying for it ever since
Tony Blair
That smiling, polished, perfect face
Sent us to Iraq
On a dossier full of waste
Dr. David Kelly dead in the woods
And the man who wrote the lie?
He's a knight.
He's good.
Mandelson back again
Third time, fourth time, fifth
Selling influence to the highest bidder
That's the gift
Peter and the islands
Peter and the cash
Peter and the friends he keeps
The ones that never get asked
But the rosette stays red
And the faithful stay quiet
'Cos if you question Labour
Then you're starting a riot

[Chorus – Slower, heavier, anthemic]
The devil is a democrat
He'll shake your hand and smile
Then he'll sell your town to Dubai
And tell you it's worthwhile
The devil is a democrat
He wears a red machine
He'll call you racist, call you thick
And keep the system clean
The devil is a democrat
The left hand of the state
He'll take your vote, take your trust
And leave you with the hate
The devil is a democrat
Don't tell me that I'm wrong
I've been watching him for forty years
And the devil's been there all along

[Verse 2 – Slow, rolling, more space between lines]
They call it progress
They call it change
While they bus in the labour
And they call you deranged
For saying your wages are dropping
Your streets are unrecognised
For noticing your daughter's school
Is now a different kind
They call it diversity
They call it being kind
While the unions get the silence
And the bankers get the wine
The working class were the ones
Who built the Labour name
Now they're the ones the Labour Party
Treats like they're to blame
Go on any estate
Ask them how they feel
They'll tell you Labour left them
And they'll tell you it's real
But call it out on camera
And you'll get the same reply
"You're far right, you're racist
You're the reason, don't ask why"

[Bridge – Stripped back, just bass and voice, slow, raw]
They'll tell you the Tories are the enemy
And the Tories are rotten
Don't get me wrong
They took the bribes
They broke the rules
They partied while your nan died alone
But the trick they play
Is making you think
It's a two-team game
Red versus blue
Left versus right
And you pick your side
And you hate the other
And you never notice the two of them
Shaking hands behind the curtain
Same donors
Same interests
Same gravy train
Same contempt for you
So don't tell me the devil's only blue
I've seen him in red
And I've seen him wearing a scarf
Singing "Things Can Only Get Better"
While he sold the country
Out from under your feet

[Verse 3 – Slow, heavy, every line a hammer]
Starmer
The lawyer
The man of the law
Prosecuted the protestors
Then applauded the war
Two-child benefit cap
He kept it in place
And he looked at the starving kids
And he didn't change his face
Said "I've got to be fiscally responsible"
While the pensioners freeze
And the food banks are full
They'll call you a fascist
For saying the truth
But they'll call you a hero
For funding the troops
To fight a war for a corporate elite
While your kid can't get a dentist
Can't get a street
Can't get a house
Can't get a job
Can't get a vote
That isn't part of the mob
Of the red and the blue
And the yellow and green
All dancing together
On the same rotten scene

[Verse 4 – Slow, deliberate, still raw]
And the ones who came here legally
Worked and paid
Are told to leave
Or told to be afraid
While the ones at the top
Who broke every rule
Get peerages, directorships
And a private school
For their kids
For their mates
For the class that never falls
They build the walls around themselves
And call it "Parliament halls"
So don't tell me it's left or right
That's the trick they play
To keep you fighting your neighbour
While they steal your pay
The devil is a democrat
The devil is a Tory
The devil is a Lib Dem
With a different kind of story
The devil is the system
That pretends to be your friend
And takes your vote
And takes your trust
And takes it to the end

4979/7500

[Intro – Spoken, over a slow, rolling bassline and distant rain] Yo. I ain't rushing this one. Some things you gotta say slow. So they sink in. They told you the left was for the people. They told you Labour was for the workers. Then they sent your kids to war. They sold your council flats. They bussed in the cheap labour and called you racist for noticing. The devil don't wear a blue tie, boss man. He wears a red one. And he smiles when he stabs you. Let it breathe. [Verse 1 – Slow, deliberate, every bar lands] They told me the devil wore a blue rosette So I voted red And I've been paying for it ever since Tony Blair That smiling, polished, perfect face Sent us to Iraq On a dossier full of waste Dr. David Kelly dead in the woods And the man who wrote the lie? He's a knight. He's good. Mandelson back again Third time, fourth time, fifth Selling influence to the highest bidder That's the gift Peter and the islands Peter and the cash Peter and the friends he keeps The ones that never get asked But the rosette stays red And the faithful stay quiet 'Cos if you question Labour Then you're starting a riot [Chorus – Slower, heavier, anthemic] The devil is a democrat He'll shake your hand and smile Then he'll sell your town to Dubai And tell you it's worthwhile The devil is a democrat He wears a red machine He'll call you racist, call you thick And keep the system clean The devil is a democrat The left hand of the state He'll take your vote, take your trust And leave you with the hate The devil is a democrat Don't tell me that I'm wrong I've been watching him for forty years And the devil's been there all along [Verse 2 – Slow, rolling, more space between lines] They call it progress They call it change While they bus in the labour And they call you deranged For saying your wages are dropping Your streets are unrecognised For noticing your daughter's school Is now a different kind They call it diversity They call it being kind While the unions get the silence And the bankers get the wine The working class were the ones Who built the Labour name Now they're the ones the Labour Party Treats like they're to blame Go on any estate Ask them how they feel They'll tell you Labour left them And they'll tell you it's real But call it out on camera And you'll get the same reply "You're far right, you're racist You're the reason, don't ask why" [Chorus – Slower, heavier, anthemic] The devil is a democrat He'll shake your hand and smile Then he'll sell your town to Dubai And tell you it's worthwhile The devil is a democrat He wears a red machine He'll call you racist, call you thick And keep the system clean The devil is a democrat The left hand of the state He'll take your vote, take your trust And leave you with the hate The devil is a democrat Don't tell me that I'm wrong I've been watching him for forty years And the devil's been there all along [Bridge – Stripped back, just bass and voice, slow, raw] They'll tell you the Tories are the enemy And the Tories are rotten Don't get me wrong They took the bribes They broke the rules They partied while your nan died alone But the trick they play Is making you think It's a two-team game Red versus blue Left versus right And you pick your side And you hate the other And you never notice the two of them Shaking hands behind the curtain Same donors Same interests Same gravy train Same contempt for you So don't tell me the devil's only blue I've seen him in red And I've seen him wearing a scarf Singing "Things Can Only Get Better" While he sold the country Out from under your feet [Verse 3 – Slow, heavy, every line a hammer] Starmer The lawyer The man of the law Prosecuted the protestors Then applauded the war Two-child benefit cap He kept it in place And he looked at the starving kids And he didn't change his face Said "I've got to be fiscally responsible" While the pensioners freeze And the food banks are full They'll call you a fascist For saying the truth But they'll call you a hero For funding the troops To fight a war for a corporate elite While your kid can't get a dentist Can't get a street Can't get a house Can't get a job Can't get a vote That isn't part of the mob Of the red and the blue And the yellow and green All dancing together On the same rotten scene [Verse 4 – Slow, deliberate, still raw] And the ones who came here legally Worked and paid Are told to leave Or told to be afraid While the ones at the top Who broke every rule Get peerages, directorships And a private school For their kids For their mates For the class that never falls They build the walls around themselves And call it "Parliament halls" So don't tell me it's left or right That's the trick they play To keep you fighting your neighbour While they steal your pay The devil is a democrat The devil is a Tory The devil is a Lib Dem With a different kind of story The devil is the system That pretends to be your friend And takes your vote And takes your trust And takes it to the end

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