Protection Racket

(album: The Shadow Of An Empire - 2009)

Be quiet katie there is someone at the hatch
You curse the darkness I'll strike a match
Undoing the latch I tripped on the scales and fell
Just as someone hit the reception bell
The ghost of that injury still remains my ankle starts to swell just before it rains
Leaders of nations, wild alsations, crumbling foundations, I've lost my patience

These big companies are giving us the squeeze
Let's raise our glasses to mr. onassis

Protection racket (hand over the packet)
Rome needs cement (in this event)
Go over to the till katie (the national)
Pay this man his rent

It's a standard procedure

I forgot to mention that grandmas pension
Will ease the rent book tension

A little birdie told me you've been syphoning the poor box
I heard the knitting circle disscusing chubb locks
What's all the commotion? what do they expect?
With no sign of a promotion I've lost my self respect
You see I built this heap from scratch when I was poor
Now they're asking me to hoover the floor
Splash some water over me slap round the face
Did I miss a meeting I don't recognise the place

The plug in the socket burns a hole in the pocket

These big companies are giving us the squeeze
Let's raise our glasses to mr. onassis

Protection racket (hand over the packet)
Rome needs cement (in this event)
Go over to the till katie (the national)
Pay this man his rent

It's a standard procedure