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Ageism ft. Portia and Rocky

from Tired, Inspired, Fired by Mike Dennis

/

about

inspired by old, racist, white, British people and “The Griffin” pub in Lisvane, Cardiff. I wrote this when I was 18.

lyrics

I work in a bar, regulars slumped against the sticky wooden surface
Drunks yelling abuse 'cause of booze they couldn't purchase
90% white male environment
I have to listen to their views and use restraint to hide dissent
Spent years dealing with similar situations
Even with my friends' clumsy, unsubtle discriminations
So it's no surprise to me, I feel scared
When my stepdad walks to the bar, unprepared
See, he was born in Pakistan, they couldn't match this man
Yet I spy glares of disgust 'cause their skin doesn't match his tan
How fucking irrational to judge someone by skin colour
To categorise, when not once in their lives have they chatted or vibed with one of..
This race - It's an utter disgrace to humanity
That in 2012 you continue with racist profanity
And I don't care what history they base this on
I just want all these fucking racists gone
You see, I made this song thinking I know where it springs from -
The zenophobia inherent in this multicultural kingdon
I could do nothing but look to our elders,
knowing pointing fingers gets you as far as a trip back to your shell does
and my little sister's beautiful – skin of a coffee tone.
If she suffers abuse, my retribution's swift and I'll offer blows.
We've got to educate the school kids
or they'll go into the world with attitudes just as foolish.

I want to make an appeal to my peers
Yo, form your own opinions and don't endorse racist ideas
and to the 14 year olds acting hateful now -
When was the last time a Paki stole your paper round?

Sure, you fought the war, won my freedom and more
But your attitudes are stuck, fucking up national rapport
Passing on the spore of hate to later generations
When I'm 64...I'm still gonna be faced with a racist nation

Seen too many jeers for too many years
Too many old dears chatting shit, 'cause of long since cold fears
Supposed to see you as learned and knowledgable
when you generalise cultures because you couldn't-be-bothered-to-go
and learn the truth about the reason they chose to settle here -
Perhaps 'cause in their country, they were living in fear
and came here 'cause we're blatantly so accommodating.
I apologise to those who found bitter racists waiting.
But then again - why should I apologise for my country?
Patriotism - a hatred-ridden trait in Great Britain
Me? I represent myself, not a flag and some land.
Did you get those glares in your deck-chair getting suntanned
in Gran Canaria? I doubt it. To you, it's scarier than malaria
in a foreign area, when they take good care of ya
because you lose the excuse to rant about
the "I-tis", the "Wogs", the "Frogs" and the "Krauts".
But you're the ones who should get out, 'cause that attitude makes me sick.
It's people like you pushing us to an apocalypse.
I know we can't all just get along, so let me put it that...
We lynch the racists and spray shit on the doors of those we couldn't catch?

How's that for an idea? Extremist?

Sure, you fought the war, won my freedom and more
But your attitudes are stuck, fucking up national rapport
Passing on the spore of hate to later generations
When I'm 64...I'm still gonna be faced with a racist nation

credits

from Tired, Inspired, Fired, released February 1, 2013

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Mike Dennis UK

Pre-orders for my 2024 album, Stop Time, are NOW LIVE!

Mike Dennis is a classically-trained violinist and poet whose boyhood love of Run DMC, Beastie Boys and Gangstarr led him to create a unique kind of string-heavy hip hop music he refers to as Violinica.

You won't have seen an artist like this before.
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