Welcome to the European Union

I landed in Denmark, headed to my favorite squat
But it was bought by rightwing Christians and was now a parking lot
I went to Christiania to try to find some peace
But the pushers were replaced by an army of police
Went to the Vestas factory to see my buddy Floyd
But they had laid off half the workers and now he was unemployed
I went to Blagardsplads for some espresso and a scone
But then I got arrested for being in a riot zone

Welcome to the European Union
It’s evolving every day
Getting more and more like the USA

I spied an ugly building like a prison if you please
Noticed this was where they now kept the refugees
No more social democratic brotherhood of man
Now it’s send ’em back and let them manage if they can
No more protecting draft dodgers who didn’t want to go
Now it’s send in the Marines and fight the evil foe
Now it’s nations run by xenophobes who talk of culture wars
Forget about the Renaissance, it’s time to fight the Moors

Chorus

Went to see a friend outside of town, not so far
But the bus line has been cut, now you have to have a car
Where there used to be a farm like a little slice of heaven
Now there’s a McDonald’s and a 7-11
I went to see the doctor but then I realized
The doctor wasn’t there and the place was privatized
The poor are going hungry while the rich are growing fat
I don’t know quite what happened but I smell a rat

Chorus

Buy/share the album:

“Welcome to the European Union” originally appeared on the 2003 Soundclick album, Beyond the Mall.  A rewritten, updated version of the song appears on the Bandcamp album, Ten New Songs (2011).

Most people in Europe love a lot of things about the EU.  The freedom of movement, the ability to live and work anywhere in the EU easily for EU citizens, and certain aspects of having a common currency, among other things.  There are a lot of other things many people across Europe are very concerned about, such as the centralization of power in fewer hands, the increasing influence of corporate lobbyists in Brussels, and generally the way many different people in power across Europe seem to think that imitating every bad decision made by corporate stooge politicians in Washington is the right thing to do.  Privatizing schools, hospitals, prisons, deregulating banks, passing “free trade” bills, etc.