Comrade Jesus Christ

He was born in Asia Minor
Colonised Jewish man
His dad a carpenter
This was occupied land
Apprentice to his fathers trade
His country paid its dues
To the Romans he was
Just a working class Jew

Conceived few months out of wedlock
The stigma never stuck
Began a three year public life
And never made a buck
Spoke against injustice
Because it was there he saw
He saw how capitalism bled the poor
Attacking those self righteous hypocrites
And what's more
Condemned the lawyers' law
Even at their front door

But they've commercialised his birthday now
The very people that he defied
And they've sanctified their system
Claiming that he's on their side!
But if he crossed the floor tomorrow
How many of them would follow
Staring down their bosses
And even if he had to pay the highest cost
These agitators getting nailed to the cross
And being labelled radicals
Left-wing fanaticals

But left or right
He'd still be standing side by side
With the ones who leaders try to hide
Out on suburban housing estates
To be forgotten
Kept the oppressed and down trodden
Break bread with the bottom rung
A lot have sung to save their souls from church pews

The same hypocrites who turn his words around and curse you
And use the scripture just to justify their own greed
Puritans with closed eyes see what they want to see
They call the police with the bullet to enforce the peace
Or CCTV cameras on the corner of every street
Prevail against their false wars
Using terror to define us
Taking our freedom to
Spy on us

He'd fight with Joe Hill and Waleca
Mandela and FriereNoel pearson
Rohan Gillies and Lex Valencia
He'd feed the hungry and
He'd work with HIV
Understand the dispossessed and undernourished needs
Flee from shantytown to Campbelltown town
Amidst the people
A voice for the voiceless
And those without choices face bulldozers and battle tanks
A leader on bail
He'd fight the conservatives
And rot in their jails

He'd denounce what it takes
And demonisation
Ignorance and exploitation
A fortress mentality
Rogue states and hate
And sales of yellow cake
Increased in deformative rates
And he'd be known on the streets
Of sex workers and smack
And those with glass homes would throw
Stones in his back
All compassionate
An agitator for change
The world remembered his name

He'd denounce dictators
Even if they were allies
Even those in democratic disguise
And if he crossed the floor tomorrow
How many of them would follow
Exchange hate with a brave face
He'd stand on street corners
Where he's needed the most
And offer truth
And give them hope
All compassionate
An agitator for change
The world remembered his name

The world remembered his name

He'd condemn all corruption
He'd question all lawmakers
Topple hierarchies
And be labelled a saviour
See status and title as dominance in the politics of greed
Filling pockets while the populace bleeds

He'd fight against the racist hoards
Whether it be out on the streets of Cronulla
Or behind the boardroom doors
Or on parliament floors
From skinheads with flags
To One Nation
And all them talk back radio stations
Standing up against the leagues of the Ku Klux Klan
A fundamentalist
The radical right
Make demands
A socialist of a humanitarian strand
No one has been like
Comrade Jesus Christ