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Rotting On Remand

Billy Bragg
Version1
90

Chords in this song

Strum
D-DU-UDU
I  stood before the judge that day
 As he  refused my 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 of 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
 And my family  don't know
 I keep telling  them that I'm innocent
 They just say, "Come on  son, in you go."
 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 18-82
 When 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 hours exercise
 I'm locked  in here all day
 You don't turn  criminals into citizens
 By treating  them this way
 Is the prize  of law and order the stench  of Wormwood Scrubs
 With judges quick  to  sentence  sending more down from above
 It's a cruel  unusual punishment that society  demands
 Innocent till proven guilty,  rotting  on remand  G D A D ...

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Readable chord sheet for Rotting On Remand by Billy Bragg

[C]I stood before the judge that day
As h[F]e refused my b[C]ail

And I knew that I would spend my time
Awaiting trial in j[G]ail
I s[C]aid there is no justice
As they l[F]ed me out of the d[C]oor
And the ju[F]dge said, "This isn't a court of ju[C]stice son
This i[G]s a court of la[C]w".

[C]They first sent me to Windsor
And t[F]hen to Stoke on Tr[C]ent

In a holding cell in Liverpool
Three days and nights I s[G]pent
My so[C]licitor can't find me
And my fa[F]mily don't k[C]now
I keep t[F]elling them that I'm inno[C]cent
They just say, "Come o[G]n son, in you g[C]o."    [C7]

I was pi[F]cked up on suspicion of som[C]ething I haven't done
[C]Here [B/C]I sit i[A/C]n 'F' [G/C]wing waiting for my trial to co[G]me
It's a crue[F]l unusual punishment that soc[C]iety dema[F]nds
Innocent till proven gui[C]lty, ro[G]tting on rem[C]and

[F]  [C]  [G]  [C]  [A7]

I en[D]ded up in this jail
Built in 1[G]8-82 [D]

When one man to one prison cell
Was a Victorian va[A]lue
Now th[D]ree of us are squeezed in here
And you ca[G]n't escape the s[D]mell
Of that buc[G]ket in the co[D]rner
And we [A]eat in here as we[D]ll

They let me out of this cage
To sl[G]op that bucket o[D]ut

To get my food and bring it back
And if I'm lucky, get a sh[A]ower
Ap[D]art from one hours exercise
I'm loc[G]ked in here all da[D]y
You don't tu[G]rn criminals into ci[D]tizens
By trea[A]ting them this w[D]ay   [D7]

Is the pri[G]ze of law and order the ste[D]nch of Wormwood Scrubs
With jud[D]ges [C#]qui[D]ck to[B] s[D]enten[A/D]ce sending more down from [A]above
It's a [G]cruel unusual punishment that soc[D]iety deman[G]ds
Innocent till proven gui[D]lty, ro[A]tting on re[D]mand    G  D  A  D ...

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