Benefits - Flag

"Flag" by Benefits

Kingsley Hall, Jonny Snowball, Robbie Major, Hugh Major
Recorded by Kingsley Hall in Saltburn and Robbie Major in Newcastle
Mastered by Kingsley Hall
Filmed by Mike Carey and edited by Kingsley Hall in Saltburn

Released to stream and download on 19/02/21.

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This place stinks of old wars,
Subservience, semi-final defeats
God and flags
Pulling your mask down for a fag, you’re a musty relic,
Hiding behind that tatty sheet, shouting, screaming, getting pulled back by your mates. Stamping on cans, raw neck in the sun. Dog water on tap.
What even are you?
You’ve been had mate.
The Italian job is on, sit down, shut up, quote the funnies, laugh at the foreigns, drink yer tea, tell the kids everything is shit these days,
wave yer fucking flag, wave yer fucking flag, WAVE YER FUCKING FLAG!
Feel powerful, feel proud,
Subjects oh subjects, we used to be this, we used to be that, and we want it back,
but no one is jealous, no one cares, so wheel it all out,
Break that emergency glass, parade forever, make it meaningless,
Bow down to that tatty flag. But what does it mean? What does it mean?
WAVE YER FUCKING FLAG!
You still hate your fucking neighbour, the clothes you wear are foreign anyway, expensive or cheap and your car is German and its nice, good runner, decent milage, reliable…
The other town down the road are all inbred you said, they all talk funny don’t they - fucking weirdos - Oh and That London eh, don’t get me started, what a shithole ey ey ey?!
You’re fucking broken, your heads gone,
Imagine some good old days you think existed, we deserve better than this…
Blue blood still runs red.

Privilege won’t save you.
Eton won’t save you.
People who speak Latin WILL NOT save you.
That stiff upper lip will crumble, that silver spoon will be sold, you’ll be forgotten.
You’re nothing to them, NOTHING!
Stop falling for their bullshit,
Throw those plastic chairs, puff out your chest, rule Bri-fucking-tannia, rule those foreign fucking waves, you can’t even swim straight - armbands on - yer getting dragged down, yer drowning in it all, DROWING IN IT ALL!
That flag won’t protect you forever, it’ll sink, it looks worn, the colours are running, wasn’t even made here
It’s all a lie.
This isn’t politics, you’re just holding a flag, you’re just a fucking pole.
Wave yer fucking flag.
Wave your flag.
WAVE. YOUR. FLAG.