Use A Bank I'd Rather Die

No you won't ever catch me in a compromise
From now on I will help yous will be on sell free (??)
I'll never use a bank, I'd prefer to die
I'll give my money away to a charity

We won't use cash, no no no no
We'll let no cash soil our hands

The use of violence isn't justified
If they send the army in we will send in fliers
None of us should use a gun, we'd prefer to die
No it's not ever right

We won't use guns, no no no no
We'll let no guns soil our hands
Oh no we won't

Our rulers are fools, everybody knows
But some of them do use their heads, so let us take note
None of us should use our head, we'd prefer to die
We will find some other means to improve our lives

We won't use thought, no no no no
We'll let no thought soil our hands
We won't use thought, no no no no
We'll let no thought soil our hands
Oh no we won't

notes: In a 2002 interview with Penny Black Music, Malcolm had this to say about this song:

Almost all of the McCarthy songs are sung by a "character", like a character in a play. I often don't agree with the sentiments expressed in the song, quite the reverse. This is the case for 'Use A Bank I'd Rather Die'. People sometimes used to accuse us of compromising. They assumed that anyone with political principles can't possibly compromise at any time. Which I don't agree with at all. If your general position is advanced by a compromise, then it can be a good thing. This is more or less what that song is about. I think the character in the song refuses all compromise and ends up in all kinds of hopeless contradictions.

found on: Banking, Violence and the Inner Life Today

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