PROMISED LAND

First released 1989

Promised Land was a very direct attack on the Conservative then-Prime Minster Margaret Thatcher.  Tim wrote the lyrics on the way to the studio when the band were recording Sit Down in Sheffield at the time of the Hillsborough football tragedy where Mrs Thatcher was using visiting the survivors as photo-opportunities. 

Given the unrest with the government and the opposition to the poll tax, the song was rapturously received every time it was played, the reaction often prompting the band to stop the show for several minutes and causing Larry to cry on a couple of occasions.

It was also played occasionally on the 1992 acoustic tours, a version of which appeared on a US promo CD.

WHERE TO GET

Studio Version : Come Home 7" (RT 245), 12" (RTT 245), CDS (RTT 245CD)

Acoustic Version (San Diego 23.9.92) : A Certain Damage CMJ CD44 vol 2 (CMJ CD-044 DISC 2)

LYRICS

I'll settle down and watch some television

Watch the news

Confronted by an ugly politician

And her ugly views

I don't belong here

I don't belong here

In your promised land

In your promised land

She is at the scene of every disaster

Shaking hands

Circling the corpses like a vulture

Coming into land

I don't belong 

Here, I don't belong 

Here, in your promised land

In your promised land

Never tell the truth

Look them in the eye

Soften up the voice

Justify a lie

Smother us in blue

Smother us in rust

Images are true

Images we trust

Promise us a home

Sell us what we own

Give the dog a bone

Dog a, dog a bone

You are the one

Ever so strong

Never be wrong

Never be wrong

The people of my country are divided

By her greed

Money is directed to ambition

Not to me

Now the scum is really floating to the surface

Of the sea

Everything she touches is infected

Including me

I don't belong here

I don't belong here

In your promised land