ruer Shade of Blue

When you were young and in your prime,
Your belly full of rage and fire,
You stood out with Trotsky on the barricades,
That Little Red Book there to inspire you,
And that poster of Che Guevara,
it hung on your wall for years,
You thought you were going to change the world
and watch it all come crashing down around their ears,

But the years have flown past so quickly,
and it's strange but oh, so true,
That flag once red with the workers' blood
now flies a truer shade of blue.

You were the young icon of the left,
you argued deep, deep into the night,
No clouds to block your vision,
the truth was there in black and white,
And you wore Fidel Castro's cap,
it sat squarely on your head,
Now you talk in hushed voices
along the corridors of power,
One day soon you'll be a minister it's said..

And now Maggie Thatcher's knickers,
they seem the perfect fit for you,
As they hang out on your washing line,
in a truer shade of blue.

You've gotten wealth, you've gotten image,
you've protected and survived alright,
And now you worry about those demons,
and things that might go bump in the night,
You want a good school for your children,
you want investments that will grow,
As you drifted into the middle of the road
and onto the other side,
Safe within that comfort zone..

And as you find yourself saying
the things you said you'd never say,
just like your parents used to do,
And the political litmus paper
has turned a truer shade of blue.

Your feet are firmly on the ladder,
you're a winner in the game,
You joined the congregation,
you even sing in the choir,
that revolution never came anyway,
But sometimes through the opium
you catch a glimpse in the mirror,
reflecting those far off long gone days,
You try telling yourself
it was a natural progression,
just a passing phase,

And as you contemplate power dressing
for that important interview,
Glad that you've been born again
in a truer shade of blue.

(To "Whiter Shade of Pale")