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The Enemy Within (Doing My Duty)

from Never Be Defeated by Joe Solo

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about

I suppose this song could be considered a dangerous one to write in that it addresses directly the policing of pickets, and in particular the roadblocks set up on all roads leading south from Yorkshire to the Nottinghamshire pits in 1984.

I will make no apologies for writing this song as I couldn't very well compose an album about the strike without tackling the issue of policing, but I will add that no additional politicking came from me and the issues addressed- the veiled threats, the taunting over money, the issues of where their orders were actually coming from- are all matters of public record either from documentary footage shot at the time or from officers reflecting on the strike during broadcast television programmes as the decades have passed, and that all I am doing is piecing it all together in a narrative which I have deliberately put in quotation marks before I am accused of impersonating a police officer.

There was no law against picketing. Striking miners who chose to picket working mines were stopped and turned round at roadblocks and were informed that should they proceed they would be arrested for obstructing a police officer in the line of his duty under suspicion that they may be about to cause a breach of the peace.

Like I said, all matters of public record.

lyrics

He said:
"Where you going, lads?"
"Is that right?"
"I'm going to ask you to turn around.
And if you're smart
Then you'll take that advice
And clear off back to your mining town.

I have reason to believe
You'll be causing a breach of the peace
And I'll arrest you...."
-and this is a beauty-
"For obstructing me doing my duty."

"No sir, picketing isn't a crime.
At least it isn't one yet.
Still I'm loving this overtime
While you lot are drowning in debt.

I have reason to believe
You'll be causing a breach of the peace
And I'll arrest you...."
-and this is a beauty-
"For obstructing me doing my duty."

"You can see that you're outnumbered here
So turn the car round and move it."
I'm sure you've all seen the lads who said no,
And have the stitches to prove it.

"I have reason to believe
You'll be causing a breach of the peace
And I'll arrest you...."
-and this is a beauty-
"For obstructing me doing my duty."

My job's to protect and to serve
But only the deserving
And my orders come right from the top
As to who I'm protecting and serving.

"I have reason to believe
You'll be causing a breach of the peace
And I'll arrest you...."
-and this is a beauty-
"For obstructing me doing my duty."

credits

from Never Be Defeated, released October 6, 2015
Joe Solo

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Joe Solo Scarborough, UK

Joe Solo is an award-winning musician, writer, poet, activist, broadcaster and washing machine engineer from Scarborough.

Live he has an ever growing reputation as both a performer and raconteur, being thought-provoking, comical and punch-the-air political often in the same breath.

He is not an artist you forget in a hurry.
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