THE PROSECUTION

(Don Henderson)


Young, free and white, woke up this morning
Looked out the window and he saw
In the east a new day was dawning
A day that had never been before
And he wonders, could it be
That, in some way, mightn't he
Be as singularly unique as this new day?
Or was it simply true
There are 'Them' and 'They' and 'You'
And to 'Them' you are just another 'They'?


Ch.
And his hopes of acquittal are sinking
For the charges on which he'll appear
Are 'suspicion of unauthorised thinking'
And 'possession of a dangerous idea'.


The family is all seated round the table
The children eat their meal and ask for more
Mother says she's done the best she's able
Father swears and, leaving, slams the door
He is poor and some are not
His two hands are all he's got
His two hands built the world and hold it high
Could he build a new world where
Working men all have a share?
He wonders if he's brave enough to try.


And his hopes of acquittal are sinking
For the charges on which he'll appear
Are 'suspicion of unauthorised thinking'
And 'possession of a dangerous idea'.


Saturday night and the camp is getting jumpy
As white men after 'velvet' offer port
Jackie sits there in his scrap heap humpy
And thinks 'If this is life, thank God it's short'
On the wind faint voices came
Called him by his tribal name
And asked him what of his Dreaming, his people's land?
Then, rising from the dirt, he threw down the mission shirt
And, proud again, put on the red headband.


And his hopes of acquittal are sinking
For the charges on which he'll appear
Are 'suspicion of unauthorised thinking'
And 'possession of a dangerous idea'.


The court has been rehearsed in preparation
The executioner is well prepared
All services will join the operation
Leave is cancelled, no expense is spared
Knowing what it was he said,
Nothing's safe till he is dead
He said: "Every man's his own man in the end!"
He said: "Slaves are black and white,
The divided will unite"
He said: "Every man's his own man in the end!"


And his hopes of acquittal are sinking
For the charges on which he'll appear
Are 'suspicion of unauthorised thinking'
And 'possession of a dangerous idea'.


And his hopes of acquittal are sinking
For the charges on which he'll appear
Are 'suspicion of unauthorised thinking'
And 'possession of a dangerous idea'...



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHjheDR-J_4
as sung by Tommy Leonard, c.2010 - in the now very sadly defunct UpFront Club in Maleny, Qld



Cheers, R-J