Текст песни Waste - David Harley

School was the first test
First through the gate
With an apple for Miss
Mustn't be late
For the nursery school rat race
The maze of jigsaws
Struggling with Book III
When the rest were on Book IV

New satchel and cap for Secondary School
New classmates and teachers, stricter rules
"Get on with your algebra: don't play the fool
Get some diplomas to paper your room
Or you'll finish your life at the end of a broom."

Turn off that TV: get on with your homework
It's time for bed and you've all that to do..."
"Please, mum, I'll never finish it now
Can't you ring in tomorrow and say I've got flu?"

"How do you think
You'll get through your exams?
Where will you end up?
I can't understand
Why you can't knuckle down like anyone else
Don't you want to make something of yourself?"

"Is this really the job you want to do?
It's not that we're unimpressed with you
And your three CSEs
But we think you'd be overqualified here."

"Do you have a degree?
No? Oh dear..."

"We only take school-leavers at sixteen."

"You seem bright enough, but so young: well, I mean
We want people who've seen a bit of the world."

"Sorry, we really wanted a girl..."

Still, things picked up at the next interview
"Good morning, young man: how do you do?
I see you did quite well at school
Not quite enough diplomas to paper a room
Still, I'm sure you'll do well here
Here's your broom."

I got on well enough there, at least for a time
I was sure I'd make maintenance chief by and by
Till the Time and Motion people came round
And by and by the news filtered down

"You've done pretty well here: don't think that it's you
You're neat, and punctual, and willing, it's true
It's just that Top Management have the idea
That we don't really need full time maintenance here
There are agencies now, with skilled men and machines
To come in twice a week and keep the place clean
We're sure you'll do well: you're hard-working enough
And we wish you success at finding a job."

A nod's as good as a wink
To the most willing blind horse
In time I found a place
On a government-sponsored course
In Advanced Machine Minding
The machine being King
The future must belong
To the man who serves the machine

And the training centre bosses
Were very good to me
They found a job for me to go to
With free overalls and tea
And when the work's a little slow
Well, they've given me this broom
So I can make my contribution
Where machines refuse to go

The soldier dies behind his gun defending his homeland
John Henry died beating the machine, his hammer in his hand
But I'll tell you this for free
I'll burn this factory through and through
Before I let myself go under
Still pushing this damn' broom