Music & lyrics by The Jam

This is not what I had in mind to post, however as you know it (or do not), the topic of my publications is not always mine to choose. Nobody compels me, but I often get loads of signs and intrusive thoughts coming to me not compulsively but in a kind recurring way that I cannot ignore. Having acknowledged this higher wisdom and long since learned how to let it guide me, there is usually no need to put much emphasis, yet I've been hearing this song (much inspired by The Who) playing over and over in my head all of the night and still in the morning when I got up — a track I had not listened to for at least thirty years. It fits so well with what is happening in our world right now that you would think it's just been written yesterday whereas it dates back to even before some of our current  “oppressors” in France were actually born. So does 1984 — to which a reference is made twice (“ignorance is strength” and “you know what happened to Winston”) — and yet we're nearly there.

Masses never rise up on their own. They never rebel just because they are being oppressed. As long as they have nothing to compare with, they never realise they are being oppressed. In short, a hierarchical society could only exist on the basis of poverty and ignorance. (Source)

Ey@el

Oh we make the standards and we make the rules
And if you don't abide by them, you must be a fool.
We have the power to control the whole land,
You never must question our motives or plans.

We'll outlaw your voices, do anything we want,
We've nothing to fear from the nation.
We'll kick you out your houses if you get too much,
If we have to, we'll destroy your generation.
We've built up a frontage and we've gained respect,
There's no one to endanger our position.

Standards rule OK!
Standards rule OK!
Standards rule OK!
Standards rule OK!

And we don't like people who stand in our way.
Awareness is gonna be redundant
And ignorance is strength, we have God on our side.
Look, you know what happened to Winston.

Oh we make the standards and we make the rules
And if you don't abide by them, you must be a fool.
We have the power to control the whole land,
You never must question our motives or plans.

Standards rule OK!
Standards rule OK!
Standards rule OK!
Standards rule OK!

© Paul Weller, 1977