The New Enclosures Lyrics

Ryan Harvey

At Putney it was spoken "the commons should be free!
And we're ready to defend it if that's how it's gotta be"
When the fences were erected these people tore them down
With the green flag in the air they built their freedom from the ground

They worked the land in freedom, their freedom from the Earth
They had no need to fight each over over what the land was worth
They'd share the common goods which we're produced by stem and seed
Faith, land and community was all they'd really need

The new enclosures, just like the old

When the New Model Army stepped across the River Thames
They thought they'd found the freedom that they'd pictured in their dreams
When King George was beheaded, history cracked
But Parliment was scheming, Cromwell stabbed them in the back

They'd built their movement up in the face of Crown and Cross
They'd risked their lives for freedom because they knew what could be lost
Now they fled into the cities to sell their labor to the rich
Or they we're taken off to prison or to the colonies in ships

[Chorus:]
The new enclosures, just like the old
The culture is destroyed, the people are controlled
The new enclosures, the same long goal
Privatize the commons, the land is bought and sold
Now you need not look to far to see the colonizer's claws
The corporate bankers and politicians hiding behind the laws
A global feudal system, the same one as before
Bloated now from centuries of slavery and war

Privatizing water, with meters on the pipes
Privatizing seeds, with patents and copyrights
Manifest Destiny, continuing today
They fought so hard in 49 but the virus got away

The new enclosures, just like the old

In Seattle it was spoken "the commons should be free!"
And we're ready to defend it if that's how it's gotta be"
When the bankers met to plot their course we we're there to shut them down
When they tried to hide their meetings, people followed them around

In 1999 history cracked
But the politicians and bankers schemed to hold our power back
It didn't take too long for us to meet the ancient fate
Crushed by guns and legislation we fell under the weight

[Chorus]

In 1649 the revolution flared
It was crushed by the army but it never disappeared
3 1/2 centuries later they're still pushing the plan
Seizing livelihoods and cultures from the tillers of the land

Who's got the commons? The people or the state?
When they come to crush your movement will you stand or will you break?
Who's got the power? What's it gonna take?
Who's got the future? That's the call you gotta make

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