War Stories (lyrics)

The icons are colonisers their clothing clad in gold
Money made from exploitation of a cargo bought and sold
Making monsters out like martyrs to adorn our street corners
And that's just for starters
Imagined immeasurable glory, believed like a bedtime story
The gallant heroic tory, a weaponised allegory
A sidelined island out of eye-line with a silence loud as sirens
Hiding behind the victories of an empire made of violence
A viable business, apparent survival of the fittest
But watch with a grimace as their influence diminishes
 
Turn out your rage and turn the page before reading
Derive contrived control without ever really conceding
Turning history to a murder mystery intent to misdirect
Taking all in isolation, ignoring any context
Presently poised on the precipice while turning a blind eye to the falling
With red mist and white privilege to diverge is too galling
Claiming the bigger picture but never look beyond the shore
Never a ship just a dinghy sinking without an oar
Rules the waves or waives the rules the focus is in tatters
When corruption and cronyism are all that really matters

The cardboard kingdoms inside of your mind
Are rejected by the children you have raised
They’re too old for war stories now
They’re just tinfoil medals pinned to dressing gowns

The inherit merit of the melanin the purpose never tactile
All lives matter is the patter from the disdainfully fragile
A token gesture for the cameras the hypocrites lead the way
Give compassion on social media but take more rights away
A bluster of patriotism the flag symbolises it all
What it represents is violence and death nothing to be proud of at all
Statuesque when shown real suffering the symbols are all there
The stories will say different but we know they never cared
We never battled or meddled with the kettles who settled how black's the pot
So say goodbye to ideals of heroes you're not the new Lancelot

It gets easier with time
To justify the crime
And believe