Mark Knopfler - Industrial Disease lyrics

Dire Straits

INDUSTRIAL DISEASE

(Mark Knopfler)

Warning lights are flashing down at Quality Control

Somebody threw a spanner and they threw him in the hole

There's rumours in the loading bay and anger in the town

Somebody blew the whistle and the walls came down

There's a meeting in the boardroom they're trying to trace the smell

There's leaking in the washroom there's a sneak in personnel

Somewhere in the corridors someone was heard to sneeze

'goodness me could it be Industrial Disease?'

The caretaker was crucified for sleeping at his post

They're refusing to be pacified it's him they blame the most

The watchdog's got rabies the foreman's got the fleas

And everyone's concerned about Industrial Disease

There's panic on the switchboard tongues are ties in knots

Some come out in sympathy some come out in spots

Some blame the management som blame the employees

And everybody knows it's the Industrial Disease

The work force is disgusted dows tools and walks

Innocence is injured experience just talks

Everyone seeks damages and everyone agrees

that these are 'classic symptoms of a monetary squeeze'

On ITV and BBC they talk about the curse

Philosophy is useless theology is worse

History boils over there's an economics freeze

Sociologists invent words that mean 'Industrial Disease'

Doctor Parkinson declared 'I'm not surprised to see you here

You've got smokers cough from smoking Brewer's droop from drinking beer

I don't know how you came to get the Bette Davis knees

But worst of all young man you've got Industrial Disease'

He wrote me a prescription he said 'you are depressed

But I'm glad you came to see me to get this off your chest

Come back and see me later - next patient please

Send in another victim of Industrial Disease'

I go down to Speaker's Corner I'm thunderstruck

They got free speech, tourists, police and trucks

Two men say they're Jesus one of them must be wrong

There's a protest singer singing a protest song - he says

'They wanna have a war so they can keep us on our knees

They wanna have a war so they can keep their factories

They wanna have a war to stop us buying Japanese

They wanna have a war to stop Industrial Disease

They're pointing out the enemy to keep you deaf and blind

They wanna sap you energy incarcerate your mind

They give you Rule Britannia, gassy beer, page three

Two weeks in Espana and Sunday striptease

Meanwhile the first Jesus says 'I'd cure it soon

Abolish Monday mornings and Friday afternoons'

The other one's out on hunger strike he's dying be degrees

How come Jesus gets Industrial Disease