Christmas (In the Year of Austerity)

A hole in my stocking A hole in my shoe Please can you spare a dollar of two If you haven't a dollar A quarter will do And if you haven't a quarter May God bless you Christmas for the poor The down and the out The beasts of burden The angel of doubt He was out on the corner Famished for sure Tired of the hustle Looking out for the cure No food in our belly No change for the bus No, Father Christmas Didn't give a damn about us Down at the mission Dressed up for the feast In these rags of beauty She was trying at least A hole in my stocking A hole in my shoe Please can you spare a dollar of two If you haven't a dollar A quarter will do And if you haven't a quarter May God bless you Politicians are stirring All those gifts but so bored Tearing all through the wrapping In the name of the lord A feast for the poor Some reprieve form the cold In the year of austerity In a kingdom of gold Down at the mission Lined up at the trough Father Christmas appeared With a tubercular cough But it was hard not to smile With a belly that full A fat goose and pudding A warm a bed in hall A hole in my stocking A hole in my shoe Please can you spare a dollar of two If you haven't a dollar A half dollar will do And if you haven't a half dollar May God bless you Christmas in the year of austerity Next year son, Next year