The Battle Hymn of the Third Way

This poem/song was inspired by a serious piece about the nature of democracy in The Guardian newspaper in 2001, by the philosopher A.C. Grayling. It becomes topical again because of the evidently democratic elections in Bolivia and Palestine.
[The tune is Burlington Bertie from Bow]
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I’m a true British voter;
I’ve oft done my quota
Of voting and that sort of toss.
I’d enter the booth
With my nose held aloof
And earnestly put down my cross.
But it’s sad, sad,
And I feels it quite bad,
I don’t ever care who’s gonna win.
For no matter which party
Wins, arty or farty,
The government always gets in.

If a party were chosen
That challenged those rich men
Whose profit still keeps the world poor,
Fought globalization,
And abolished Nation,
To sanity opened the door,
Then they’d say, say,
‘There’ll be hell to pay,
This election was undemocratic.’
The Sun says ‘It’s chaos’,
’cos this lot won’t pay us’,
State violence would be automatic.

Our great old grandfathers,
like the Tolpuddle Martyrs,
Fought bravely for our right to vote;
Endured transportation
To a distant nation:
A fact that I’d like you to note.
But it’s sad, sad,
And I feels it quite bad,
I don’t ever care who gonna win.
For no matter which party
Wins, arty or farty,
The government always gets in.

I thus feel quite guilty,
No matter what will be,
Though the media control with a shove!
I ought to go down
to vote ’gainst the crown
and write down: ‘none of the above’.
But it’s sad, sad,
And I feels it quite bad,
I don’t ever care who gonna win.
For no matter which party
Wins, arty or farty,
The government always gets in.

So, away with the vapours
And write on your papers:
‘I’ll not vote again for these crooks’.
Get down to the station
(or use automation)
To show that you’re not just good looks.
You must vote, vote,
Not send in a note,
But we’ll now make the spoilt ballots win.
A society that’s fair
Is not just an idea.
The people will one day get in, tra-la
The people will one day get in.