Define The Greatest Working Class Rip Off Meaning

Crass – The Greatest Working Class Rip Off

CHORUS: Ain’t it just a rip off, oi, oi, oi/ Ain’t it just a rip off, oi, oi, oi/ Ain’t it just a rip off, oi, oi, oi/ Ain’t it just a rip off, oi, oi, oi/ What a fucking rip off, oi, oi, oi.

Another threatening glance, another macho stance/ Another aggressive fist, another arsehole pissed/ Another vicious threat, a stream of blood stained sweat/ Another bottle waved in the air, another battle with tension and fear.

CHORUS

Tell me, why do you glorify violence? Ain’t there nothing better to give?/ Why fuck up the only chance to be yourself and really live?/ You tell me you’re a working class loser, well what the fuck does that mean?/ Is the weekly fight at the boozer gonna be the only action you’ve seen?/ Are you gonna be one of the big boys, well, we’ve seen it all before/ Muscles all akimbo as they boot down another door/ Will you see yourself as the hero as you boot in another head/ When you’re just a pathetic victim of the media you’ve been fed/ You’re lost in your own self pity, you’ve bought the system’s lie/ They box us up and sit pretty as we struggle with the knots they tie/ Okay, so you’re right about one thing, no-one’s got the right to shit on you/ But what’s the point of shitting on yourself, what’s that gonna do?/ Working class hero beats up middle class twit/ Media labels, system’s shit/ When it looks like the people could score a win/ The system makes sure that the boot goes in.

Yeah it’s the greatest working class rip off, oi, oi, oi/ Just another fucking rip off, a fucking media ploy/ It’s the greatest working class rip off, oi, oi, oi/Ain’t it just a rip off, ain’t it just a rip off, ain’t it just a rip off, oi.

Punk attacked the barriers of colour, class and creed/ But look at how it is right now, do you really think you’re freed?/ Punk once stood for freedom, not violence, greed and hate/ Punk’s got nothing to do with what you’re trying to create/ Anarchy, violence, chaos?/ You mindless fucking jerks/ Can’t you see you’re talking about the way the system works?/ Throughout our bloody history force has been the game/ The message that you offer is just the fucking same/ You’re puppets to the system with your mindless violent stance/ That’s right fuckers, sneer at us ‘cos we say “Give Peace a chance”/ Punk is dead you wankers, ‘cos you killed it through and through/ In your violent world of chaos, what you gonna do?/ Is Top of the Pops the way in which you show how much you care?/ Will you take off now to the USA to spread your message there?/ Well mouth and trousers, sonny boy, never changed a thing/ The only thing that’ll ever change will be the song you sing/ ‘Cos when you’ve bought your Rolls Royce car and luxury penthouse flat/ You’ll be looking down your nose and saying “Punk, dear chap, what’s that?”/ You’ll be the working class hero with your middle class dream/ And the world will be the same as the world has always been/ Punk’s the people’s music so you can stuff ideas of class/ That’s just the way the system keeps you sitting on your arse/ Class, class, class, that’s all you fucking hear/ Middle class, working class, I don’t’ fucking care.

It’s the greatest working class rip off, oi, oi, oi/ What a fucking rip off, oi, oi, oi/ It’s the greatest human sell out, oi, oi, oi/ Ain’t it just a rip off oi, oi, oi

Punk’s the people’s music and I don’t care where they’re from/ Black or white, punk or skin, there ain’t no right or wrong/ We’re all just human beings, some of us rotten, some of us good/ You can stuff your false divisions ‘cos together I know we could/ Beat the system, beat its rule/ Ain’t got no class, I ain’t a fool/ Beat the system, beat its law/ Ain’t got no religion ‘cos I know there’s more/ Beat the system, beat its game/ Ain’t got no colour, we’re all the same/ People, people, not colour, class or creed/ Don’t destroy the people, destroy their power and their greed.