The Howard Blues Poem by David Keig

There is a federal election in just over a week in Australia. John Howard is the current PM....

I got the Howard blues
A’heavy on my mind
I got the Howard blues
So, heavy on my mind
And if he wins the next election
No sadder man you’ll find.

In this land of full employment
With real wages high
In this land of full employment
With real wages high
Why do the rich get richer
Than all us other guys?

In this time of record profits
It makes no sense to me
In this time of record profits
It makes no sense to me
We got a badly run health service
Like we’re in poverty.

We got farming dying
Like never once before
We got farming dying
Like never once before
But they waste so much water
Now they can’t do that no more.

We got a land that’s crumbling
Through past activities
We got a land that’s crumbling
Through past activities
Yet there down in Tasmania
We’re clearing old growth trees.

Why won’t that man say sorry
To Aborigines
Why won’t that man say sorry
To Aborigines
But he’ll say sorry at the cricket
When trying to get his seat.

I got the Howard blues
So heavy on my mind
I got the Howard blues
Yes, heavy on my mind
And if he wins the next election
No sadder man you’ll find.