There’s darkness at the heart of our society

An apple growing rotten from the core

A challenge to our middle class propriety

Our sense of self is changed for evermore

From tower blocks and city slums there crept

An underclass, the young and disaffected

While we in our complacency have slept

Thinking we were by the police protected

Like memories of the blitz our cities burned

Shops were looted, innocent men died

Saving what they’d worked for and earned

As riotous youths laughed their victims cried

The police returned, the rioters made to pay

Courtrooms witnessed judgement night and day

There must be a reason for the madness

That so infected our bruised nation’s youth

Why wreak such havoc, why bring such sadness?

Veritas! Let us talk now of the truth

Every child is raised from early age

On adverts, marketing and media spin

That tells them what new thing is all the rage

And not having these possessions is a sin

Don’t worry if you can’t afford to pay

Just take the things you want, its easy see

That’s what the subtle media voices say

In glossy marketing land all things are free

By what compass should the young be guided?

Politicians, rich and fattened at the trough

Who when in public often are derided

As out of touch, over privileged toffs

Or a media that no longer is respected

As it covers up deceit with yet more lies

No wonder that they’re by the young rejected

For what they did they’re rightfully despised

No one can justify that which took place

That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t seek the cause

You can’t just blame twitter and MySpace

For disrespect of property and law

No.

We have a generation

Free of aspiration

With no hope of work

Or owning their own home

They see the rich get richer

Get pushed further from the picture

And thought it time

To settle up the score

If they can’t afford a home

Or get an education loan

They can’t join us on the higher moral ground

We need to help them know their worth

Give opportunity from birth

Then that paradise we lost may still be found