Song | Hemlock |
Artist | Peter Hammill |
Album | In a Foreign Town |
Here it comes up on the screen, | |
the propaganda of the military-industrial machine. | |
By now we find there's little choice: | |
when our masters tell us "smile" we rejoice. | |
With the nuclear shield safely in place | |
we're assured of the survival of the human race. | |
The earth is flat and pigs can fly – | |
swallow hard and believe the lies. | |
In these alleys all are blind: | |
skittles fall for the dreams of humankind. | |
And nuclear power is safe as hell – | |
Swallow hard, young William Tell. | |
The earth is flat and pigs can fly – | |
If you swallow hard you believe the lies. | |
In the banks the deals are made – | |
of course there's no profit in lending the Third World aid. | |
If the larder shelves are bare let the people eat cake | |
and thank the governments for the air. | |
Meanwhile, in the cells, secret police | |
champion freedom, offer justice, keep the peace. | |
The Pope talks to God, the Ayatollah too – | |
swallow hard and believe it true. | |
The earth is flat and pigs can fly – | |
if you swallow hard you'll believe the lies. | |
It's a hemlock world. | |
It's a hemlock world that we must drink – | |
swallow hard and don't try to think. | |
It's a hemlock world that we all face – | |
swallow hard on the bitter taste, | |
swallow hard on the bitter taste, | |
swallow hard on the aftertaste. | |
It's a hemlock, it's a hemlock world. |
Here it comes up on the screen, | |
the propaganda of the militaryindustrial machine. | |
By now we find there' s little choice: | |
when our masters tell us " smile" we rejoice. | |
With the nuclear shield safely in place | |
we' re assured of the survival of the human race. | |
The earth is flat and pigs can fly | |
swallow hard and believe the lies. | |
In these alleys all are blind: | |
skittles fall for the dreams of humankind. | |
And nuclear power is safe as hell | |
Swallow hard, young William Tell. | |
The earth is flat and pigs can fly | |
If you swallow hard you believe the lies. | |
In the banks the deals are made | |
of course there' s no profit in lending the Third World aid. | |
If the larder shelves are bare let the people eat cake | |
and thank the governments for the air. | |
Meanwhile, in the cells, secret police | |
champion freedom, offer justice, keep the peace. | |
The Pope talks to God, the Ayatollah too | |
swallow hard and believe it true. | |
The earth is flat and pigs can fly | |
if you swallow hard you' ll believe the lies. | |
It' s a hemlock world. | |
It' s a hemlock world that we must drink | |
swallow hard and don' t try to think. | |
It' s a hemlock world that we all face | |
swallow hard on the bitter taste, | |
swallow hard on the bitter taste, | |
swallow hard on the aftertaste. | |
It' s a hemlock, it' s a hemlock world. |