Boomtown Rats
"Another Piece Of Red"

Another Piece of Red

I was reading in New Zealand about
Ian Smith
I was thinking they were lucky to be
rid of that shit.
The people here can still believe in
stiff lips and stiff collars
They're speaking deals in English
But they're making deals in dollars.
They're breaking up an empire
Nobody's buying British
They're calling for an umpire
Nobody's playing cricket
The flags are coming down
everybody stands saluting
But somewhere in the distance, I can
hear somebody shooting.

And another piece of red left my atlas
today.

It's so long Hong Kong and no more
Singapore
Those steaming nights of Malta
Goodbye Gibraltar
I'll give you arms for Africa
I'm hungry for India
The sun's set on Australia
And vive le Canada

Theyre breaking up an empire
Nobody's buying British
Calling for an umpire
It really isn't cricket
The flags are coming down
There's a minimum of looting
Somewhere in the distance I can see
somebody shooting
And another piece of red left my atlas
today.........