A song I originally recorded in the 1980s, updated for the New Prize Silver Jug Band lyrically to reflect 21st century technology a little better. Though the global economic system was both corrupt and built on sand even at the time it was written. And as 2025 wears on, it feels astoundingly topical. You don’t have to pay for it to listen to it, but we won’t object if you do pay for it. ;)
Apologies to the shade of Jimi Hendrix for the new title.
lyrics
I looked up and I saw you needed help.
You’re floating on algorithms that you can’t understand,
But you can’t produce one thing to help yourself.
Paper city at the heart of a paper empire:
You’ve got strings to pull, you’ve got wires all over the earth.
Sky-climbing parasite, stalking a paper jungle,
You’ve got money to burn, but I know you’d rather freeze to death.
You’ve got stacks of stocks and shares and bonds:
You’ve got more data than you’ll ever know how to use.
But you can’t produce as much as one lead pencil,
Or a bar of soap, or a rubber band to pull you through.
The media twitch at the flash of a freemason’s handshake:
Speeches are made and the punters gather round;
Paper politicians and faceless company men,
Sucking the sap from an ailing paper pound.
I bet you know just what you’re worth on paper:
When the market crumbles, what will you do?
So many cold people don’t own the earth they lie in:
Will you be OK in your green-lined paper tomb?
Paper city at the heart of a bankrupt empire:
Your towers get higher as your assets hit new lows.
Nose-diving parasite, I wouldn’t mind your dying,
But you’ll take so many with you when you go.
credits
Music and original words by David Harley. Updated lyrics by David Harley and Dave Higgen. Vocals by David Harley.
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