We Used to Be Important (A Democrat’s Lament)

 

My third election song, performed on ABC Local Radio Brisbane on 1 November 2007, lamenting the final days of the Australian Democrats’ representation in the Australian parliament. As it turned out, they did lose all of their Senators at the election.

 

Link to ABC website: http://www.abc.net.au/brisbane/stories/s2085524.htm

 

This is a tale of the Australian Democrats

who dared to stand on their own

We started off centrist, for Liberal 'wets'

and now we're all drenched to the bone

We promised to work in the centre of all

to help as Australia got older

but it's hard to match up to demanding ideals

when you live with Don Chipp on your shoulder

 

But remember the days when we led the debate

on the dam in the Franklin and the war in Kuwait

and we had a Senator from every state

we used to be important

 

In 1998, a short man with eyebrows

proposed a new tax to put strain on the 'burbs

We said, "you can't tax things like chooks killed and frozen

but you CAN tax the chooks covered in spices and herbs"

so the GST came and we let it go through

which wasn't quite what we had promised

'cause while we were watching the Liberals and Labor

no-one was keeping us honest

 

So remember Andrew Murray and remember Meg Lees

who spread through the Senate like a noxious disease

so now all our voters are off hugging trees

we used to be important

 

Then Natasha the fembot got blood on her knife

destroyed the whole party and made no contrition

and back at the ballot box, the country was watching

and started to treat us just like politicians

 

Now Natasha's retiring to look after kids

and Bartlett's still suffering from his night on the fizz

and nobody knows who Lyn Allison is

yes, we used to be important

 

So remember Don Chipp and remember Janine

good luck in the future voting Liberal and Green

but if it all ends up as one big machine

remember, we used to be important

 

 

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