Chumbawamba - Ah-men lyrics

A visionary pause in the cycle When she refused to buy or sell When the daughters of perfect wives Said there must be more sacrifice Needed more than symbolic change More than silent wasting away In factories and sterile marriages He was god, she was powerless With a brick for every year of life She set out for the house of lies The old boys' club under siege His lordship cowered under his seat Called for brandy and reinforcements Blasted away at every movement Close to breaking down the door Past thick blue line and stupid laws Black friday left her bruised and stubborn One brick from winning the struggle Rapunzel hacked at the ivory tower Asquith quickly rose to the hour Appealed to patriotism, oily smiles Gave nothing, called it compromise Gauging the situation perfectly Said ladies, ladies, listen to me Nineteen fourteen, we're on the brink of war Pick up a flag, drop your cause Your targets are counter-revolutionary Take my hand in democracy Here's a piece of paper You're officially free Here's a list of instructions For you to obey And here's sharp knife To cut your own throat Small sacrifice in return for a vote Whispered word in pankhurst's ear Visions of the first woman peer Led women down the garden path And into the arms of the enemy Jail and force-feeding, waster martyrdom Sold her songs for the national anthem Slotted the smile back neatly into place Served refreshments At the end of the race All demands reduced to a joke X marks the plague, abandon hope Butlers still pouring brandy for the rich Excuse me pa** me the privilege A woman's voice, the state's idea Same vested interests, same dirty deals Currie and williams immersed in the times Examples to keep the rest in line Currie and williams two of a kind Examples to keep the rest in line Absolute power Absolute power Ladies, ladies, listen to me