talis_kimberley ([info]talis_kimberley) wrote,
2011-08-09 11:46:00
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Song: The Grey Men of Whitehall

My friend Brian gave me the prompt that became this... tune's brewing.

* * *

THE GREY MEN OF WHITEHALL


The grey men of Whitehall are watching
From comfortable ivory towers
And the grey men of Whitehall sit comfy, running
This country that used to be ours
For the grey men had their education
And society covered the cost
But tell that to the next generation
As if that were all that we’ve lost.

And of course you’ve a right to be angry
There’s enough to be angry about
But point it at those who deserve it
When you’re ready to stand up and shout

The grey men have mortgaged the future
Put a price on what shouldn’t be sold
Oh, the grey men of Whitehall know better
But then they’re not afraid of the cold
There are grey men in each of our cities
Every parish and borough and town
And if you want to take back their power
Then you’d better put your name down

And of course you’ve a right to be angry
Only think before violence takes aim
Does a hundred years trading in tables and chairs
Really merit the fire and the flame?

‘Cos it starts with the local elections
Real people who do give a damn
Or the grey men will carry on suiting themselves
And democracy’s only a sham.

And of course you’re allowed to be angry
But you’d better know who’s getting hurt
And the ambulance man and the shopkeeper both
Bleed the same colour blood down their shirts

And of course you’ve a right to be angry
There’s enough to be angry about
But point it at those who deserve it
When you’re ready to stand up and shout



Words by & © Talis Kimberley 9th August 2011

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  • 28 comments

[info]keristor

August 9 2011, 11:04:52 UTC 9 months ago

Brava!

[info]talis_kimberley

August 9 2011, 15:11:05 UTC 9 months ago

Thank you!

[info]shannachie

August 9 2011, 11:05:55 UTC 9 months ago

Impressive...

[info]talis_kimberley

August 9 2011, 15:11:46 UTC 9 months ago

*Bows self-depracatingly* :-)

[info]fleetfootmike

August 9 2011, 12:47:55 UTC 9 months ago

Brilliant as ever. I assume it has a tune?

[info]fleetfootmike

August 9 2011, 12:48:23 UTC 9 months ago

(I ask cause it's a good two hours since you had one brewing :D)

[info]talis_kimberley

August 9 2011, 15:12:26 UTC 9 months ago

You know me too well, my friend!

[info]talis_kimberley

August 9 2011, 15:12:07 UTC 9 months ago

Bless you, thanks. On its way. Errands intervened.

[info]technoshaman

August 9 2011, 13:31:11 UTC 9 months ago

Yes!

And sometimes it takes a woman to stand up to those grey men properly. I think I know somebody like that.... :)

[info]talis_kimberley

August 9 2011, 15:13:38 UTC 9 months ago

*Blows kiss*

Only with help, only with much help...

It shouldn't really, be, and mostly isn't a gender thing... but I'm not sorry my soapbox about persuading real people to stand for public office crept in there.

[info]technoshaman

9 months ago

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[info]trialia

August 9 2011, 15:17:50 UTC 9 months ago

Excellent.

Honestly, I might be out there - protesting, not rioting - if I were healthy enough to manage it. But if I were, I wouldn't be so petrified about all these cuts, because I wouldn't be so disabled I'm unable to hold down even a part-time job and reliant on the services they're hacking away.

My specialist clinic for the rare illness I have? Cut all to hell. I am very lucky because I have an amazing consultant who is willing to treat me (and the others with my condition that she's treating) on her own admin time and pay for the hydrotherapy session time out of her own pocket. If it weren't for her and her help, I would be falling apart a lot faster than I am - and that's her goal, to slow it down as much as she can. It took me twenty years to find a good medical team, but now that I have, by glory am I not ever letting any of them go if I can help it!

[info]talis_kimberley

August 10 2011, 07:46:23 UTC 9 months ago

I fear that legitimate and honest protest against governmental policies will become even harder and more constrained. Rah for your consultant and her team.

Your icon - Miles VK? :-)

[info]trialia

9 months ago

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[info]technoshaman

August 9 2011, 15:58:44 UTC 9 months ago

Got a pic from this side of the pond to go with that:

New Yorker cover: Titanic goes down, Grey Men of Whitehall sip drinks and smoke cigars in a lifeboat

Thanks to [info]ysabel elsemush...

[info]talis_kimberley

August 10 2011, 07:46:38 UTC 9 months ago

Heh. Yeah.

[info]valydiarosada

August 9 2011, 16:31:58 UTC 9 months ago

Good song! And spot on.

[info]talis_kimberley

August 10 2011, 07:47:35 UTC 9 months ago

Thank you. I was... very careful which of the many ways to say a thing became the one I used.

[info]ann_totusek

August 9 2011, 17:46:18 UTC 9 months ago

Dear Lord, thank you! I've been watching in sorrow. I know it's a reaction to the cuts that the people in power have made, but it's still inexcuseable.

[info]talis_kimberley

August 10 2011, 07:48:45 UTC 9 months ago

When people have no hope and no connection to or investment in their location, then they have all to gain and little to lose, sadly. Deep deep problems ignored too long.

[info]mdlbear

August 9 2011, 19:24:57 UTC 9 months ago

Well said!!

[info]talis_kimberley

August 10 2011, 07:48:55 UTC 9 months ago

Thank you!

[info]cflute

August 9 2011, 19:50:00 UTC 9 months ago

Planning to post an MP3 of the tune? If so please let me know where... we might be able to work this up for Worldcon next week.

Hmm... maybe my seekrit plan to commit (harmonic) mayhem may yet bear strange fruit. :-)

[info]talis_kimberley

August 10 2011, 07:49:48 UTC 9 months ago

If I get a scratch track done today, I'll Bandcamp it, and FB link to that, and post again here to say so. Thank you!

[info]batyatoon

August 9 2011, 19:58:48 UTC 9 months ago

Well done, lady.

[info]talis_kimberley

August 10 2011, 07:50:39 UTC 9 months ago

Thank you, Batya. Um - if you'd like acapella mp3s of a few things I don't usually do acapella, let me know, hmm?

[info]batyatoon

August 10 2011, 23:43:25 UTC 9 months ago

Thank you! And I was actually just about to ask if I might have an acapella mp3 of this one when the tune's done baking. :)

<3

[info]talis_kimberley

9 months ago

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