[Verse 1] Wake up before dawn, another day in the queue, same old grind, Centrelink flicker in my eye, got me leaping through the hoops, trying not to fall behind, Rent keeps climbing every week while the pay barely grows, never seems to ease, Boss stays comfy in the chair while we count up all the zeros, while we’re stuck down on our knees. Work for the dole, yeah, they dress it up as “support,” with a polished little smile, But it’s labour on the cheap in a cold bureaucratic court, stretching out for miles, Appointments, compliance, every box gotta line up right, every minute under lock, One slip, one miss, and they’re severing the line overnight, leaving you staring at the clock. [Chorus] Centrelink blues, yeah, we wear that strain all day, every hour, Trying to stay above water in the landlord’s game they play, under their power, Capitalist dream with a crack running clean through the beam, splitting at the seam, Full week of sweat, still hungry in this busted little scheme, chasing a fading dream. [Verse 2] They say “just get a job,” like the answer’s that simple and clear, like it’s lying on the floor, While the listings run thin and the deadlines draw in near, and the rent still wants more, Rich get richer off the backs of the broke and the worn, while the rest of us survive, We’re the fuel for the engine while they stay safe and warm, keeping their profits alive. Paperwork towerin’ high like a debt-made wall in the sun, blocking out the day, Stress in the daylight, insomnia night after night for fun, just to keep the panic at bay, Hands out the welfare, then they shame us for the wait, like needing help’s a crime, But the rules are written rigged from the top of the state, and they waste our time. [Chorus] Centrelink blues, yeah, we wear that strain all day, every hour, Trying to stay above water in the landlord’s game they play, under their power, Capitalist dream with a crack running clean through the beam, splitting at the seam, Full week of sweat, still hungry in this busted little scheme, chasing a fading dream. [Outro] Yeah, we’re more than a number on a digital screen, more than a line in their chart, More than a file in the cogs of the machine, with a pulse and a beating heart, From the margins we rise, keep the pressure in view, won’t be beaten out of sight, Aussie voices cut through with the Centrelink blues, holding on through the night.
