Why Are We Still In Ireland? Lyrics - Chumbawamba

Our settlers calling our kingdom great 

Our banners raised on high 

Baptized with the tide of history 

That won't lie down and die 

Words from our own good book to help us get by 

The sacrifice of our daily bread 

The hallowed be our domain 

For ever and ever the powers use their glory 

To chain our minds again 

Our lads growing into our men 

The unicorn stands triumphant 

But if we look a little closer it's chained like a slave 

The lion was crowned king of this land 

That it's only ever seen from behind bars in a cage 

This history of the winning side written on every page 

It's not as simple as being mislead, as us not wanting to see 

That most of us are born losers in the great society 

Fed on a diet of how grand things used to be 

An empire, two world wars, and Wimbly '66 

But a Gordon Banks save couldn't save our ship 

We were sinking like a brick 

Till we were washed ashore in the South Atlantic 

The unicorn stands triumphant 

But if we look a little closer it's chained like a slave 

The lion was crowned king of this land 

That it's only ever seen from behind bars in a cage 

This history of the winning side written on every page 

And how can we as a people be so blind 

To taking so much but to close our minds 

To be so afraid of stepping over the line 

To bury our heads in the sands of time 

To champion those who take our everything 

And pretend that none of this is happening 

To turn away and stop wondering how things could be any different 

Living in the hope of a promise of a land fit for heroes' needs 

With the reason that if we got sod all 

Then at least we're white and free 

Hiding behind hand-me-down bigotry 

A nation of jurors judging others by the color of a book 

That was written for us on our behalf 

'Cause we can't be bothered to look 

Beyond the headlines written verbatim by government crooks 

And tell me when is a lie not a lie? 

When it's told by someone who owns the truth 

And when is a joke not a joke? 

When the punchline is the Union Jackboot 

When is a war not a war? 

When those who started it know it can't be won 

And when is a country not a country? 

When it's partitioned and ruled by British guns 

England, oh England, I'll never sing your praise 

For all the blood you shed in long-gone days 

You still can't put your mind to changing your ways 

And while Britain's first and virtually its last 

Remaining colony is fighting with its very life 

To bring this monster to its knees 

We can't see the wood through the trees who the monster is 

And how could we as a people be so blind 

To taking so much but to close our minds 

To be so afraid of stepping over the line 

To bury our heads in the sands of time 

To champion those who take our everything 

And then pretend that none of this is happening 

To turn away and stop wondering how things could be so different 

The unicorn stands triumphant 

But if we look a little closer it's chained like a slave 

The lion was crowned king of this land 

That it's only ever seen from behind bars in a cage 

Do we stand against the tide or still pretend we're the master race? 

Do we stand against the tide or still pretend we're the master race?