1.
I'm lucky to be on the labour,
I have no work to do.
I don't have to rise
Till the sun's in the skies,
I don't have to shine up my shoes.
I can watch T.V. all morning,
Play pool all afternoon,
Don't have to be clean,
Don't need a routine,
Don't worry 'bout
The doom or the boom.
Hang 'round for an hour or so,
I queue outside the door,
Don't give cheek
And I practice all week
Writing my signature.
I'm homeward bound
In the evening,
Stall in and buy a cup of tea,
I scratch my card
And it isn't too hard
To keep my anonymity.

2
I'm lucky to be on the labour,
I do the best I can.
There's a man I know
At the end of the road
And he needs a helping hand.
If I hear the welfare coming,
I have to duck down and hide,
I'm trying to save
But I'm not supposed to have
Butter on both sides.
I dream my way
Through the papers,
With no deadlines to meet.
No credit card
No nice front yard
Or a car to drive
down the street.
Another child of this nation,
But maybe I was born too late,
I can't complain,
'Cause the world's full of men,
Who tell me I deserve my fate.

3

I'm lucky to be on the labour,
I'm lucky to be on the dole.
But the feeling in my bones
Is as cold as a stone,
And my heart is growing old.
The fire in my blood
Is dying,
Demons dance
In my head
I'm in despair
And the rent's in arrear
And I'm hungry going to bed.
Maybe I should try
To be someone,
And ask for what
The future holds.
The only thing is
This deadly disease
Is gobbling up my soul.
I'm listening to
The latest Taoiseach
Talking away on the T.V.
Don't know what he's seeing
From inside his limousine
But it's not the same as me.

4

Maybe I should try
To be hopeful.
They tell me there's
'Good Times' ahead.
I try to believe
But I end up deceived
And I'm not really sure
What they said.
I can hear all the politicians
Talking away on the T.V.
Don't know who they're seeing
Looking out through
Their little screen,
But they're sure
Not seeing me!