Worlds Apart

A row of TV screens shows happy boys and girls
Kids on the street gather round to get a glimpse of a different world
Then it’s back to real life selling what they can
To survive the latest progress of the banker’s latest plan
An economic miracle that works only for a few
While others live off rubbish dumps and shining rich men’s shoes
Maps by no accident made poor countries look small
Now they’re hiding cardboard huts behind security walls
It’s all got to be ready for when the delegations come
They don’t want to be troubled by unsightly views of slums

This doesn’t just happen over there - Pick any two cities you can make a pair
The same two worlds are everywhere and we’re told this fucked up shit is fair
But however much they try to hide the ugly truth of the class divide
When dirt poor and filthy rich collide there’s gonna be conflict far and wide

Billboards say “Live healthy” but it’s more like living hell
For so many with no clean water but Coca Cola’s selling well
The church is celebrating – they’re buying a new Lord
But the beggars outside will have to wait ‘til they’re dead for their reward
Huge monuments to the nation – for miles you can see the flag
Look closely under it’s shadow – you’ll see people dressed in rags
But the truth is never included in the friendly guided tours
While big men with sticks stand guard to keep hotels and banks secure
From the desperation and anger of those trapped in the squalor
Fenced in by market forces, devalued by the dollar

This doesn’t just happen over there…

Out of sight and out of mind
They know all the ways to keep the people blind
Living the good life in another part of town
They’ll try to avoid the riff raff, do their best to keep us down
It’s all expenses paid where they feast the night away
While for others the night’s another struggle to find a place to stay
Or stay out of the prison cells they built for when the two worlds meet
Zero tolerance control at the request of the elite
Who have hired thugs on guard to keep us safe behind the fence
Democracy or dictatorship – spot the difference

This doesn’t just happen over there…

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