Rotting On Remand Lyrics

I stood before the judge that day as he refused me bail
And I knew that I would spend my time awaiting trial in jail
I said, "There is no justice" as they led me out the door
And the judge said, "This isn't a court of justice son, this is a court of law"

They first sent me to Windsor and then to stoke on Trent
In a holding cell in Liverpool three days and nights I spent
My solicitor can't find me, my family don't know
I keep telling them that I'm innocent they say
"Come on son, in you go"

And I was picked up on suspicion of something I haven't done
Here I sit in F wing waiting for my trial to come
It's a cruel unusual punishment that society demands
Innocent till proven guilty, rotting on remand

I ended up in this jail built in 1882
One man to one prison cell was a Victorian value
Now three of us are squeezed in here and you can't escape the smell
Of that bucket in the corner and we eat in here as well

They let me out of this cage to slop that bucket out
To get my food and bring it back and if I'm lucky, get a shower
Apart from one hour's exercise, I'm locked in here all day
You don't turn criminals into citizens by treating them this way

Is the price of law and order the stench of wormwood scrubs?
With judges quick to sentence more down from above
It's a cruel unusual punishment that society demands
Innocent till proven guilty, rotting on remand

Billy Bragg - Workers Playtime

Oct 1990

1. She's Got A New Spell
2. Must Paint You A Picture
3. Tender Comrade
4. The Price I Pay
5. Little Time Bomb
6. Rotting On Remand
7. Valentime's Day Is Over
8. Life With The Lions
9. The Only One
10. The Short Answer
11. Waiting For The Great Leap Forwards