SUMMARY:

Follow the story and struggle for democracy from Ancient Greece right up to modern day, for the common people.

Parody of Common People by Pulp

LYRICS:

It came from Greece; we were the first to acknowledge

The idea of a democratic college, oh yeah.

So it started there.

 

Before that we were all just ruled by royals

They thought that common folk should just be loyal, oh yeah.

(Well we weren’t having that anymore)

So we tried

 

The first system for the common people

No longer treat them like a bunch of sheeple

Each law voted for by the people

Democracy meant they got to keep all the power

But only if they qualify –

Slaves, women and foreigners need not apply. Mm.

 

You’re meant to join in if you like it or not

If you refuse, we call you an ‘idiot’, oh yeah.

That word came from there…

 

Romans were less rude and we thought it better

To have a Senate and appoint Senators to implement

The laws of government.

 

This sort of meant that for the common bloke

Democracy became a bit of a joke

Power was just held by a load of rich geezers

Till the Republic was ended by Ceasar -

 

Thought I’d give being a dictator a crack

But then they stabbed me in the ba-a-a-a-ack.

 

Civil War was aimed to bring a chance to restrain the King

Still the people were ignored, power stayed with King and Lord.

Cromwell’s Roundheaded intent? Restrain the King with Parliament -

Ended when I lost my head – I won, but then we got Charles the Second instead!

 

Still we tried to stand up for choice

Make Parliament hear the people’s voice

But it was hard to get that message through

Nothing changed till 1832.

 

But there’s one thing to note

The working class and women still can’t vote.

 

For common worker’s the fight’s not done

Until the end of World War One

Votes for women thanks to Suffragettes

And no-one’s found a better system yet.

 

As Churchill said to our great-grandmothers –

Democracy’s worst… apart from all the others.