CD1-06-Why I'm Here

Why I'm Here
(Music & Lyric: simple-person)

Ya ask me why I come here today,
well I tell ya, it's becuz I can't get the frustrations off my chest
I live in a corner somewhere in Hong Kong,
and I just wanna be able to meet the breadline
just a meager wish for a stable and happy life
but then the authorities say they will increase my rent,
and that I've been taking advantage of them
they say the rent in Hong Kong has been doubled, tripled and quadrupled
and they say that I am a "rich tenant" in the poor public housing estates
and that I should pay the market price

Well, ya've got a big mouth but don't take me for an idiot
looking back, I could have been so happy with my cottage and my field
but then ya suddenly played the authority shit
and took my little world away from me
ya even crapped the shit about "improving the quality of my life"
well, I know of a good Old Lee living in Shum Shui Po
he's been working round the clock to get his rent paid
then suddenly the authorities say they wanna renew this city
ha, what choice did he have but to accept the displacing "temporary settlement"

And ya think that the oldies and weakies in the community have no value at all
Ya displace them into faraway godforsaken places,
and ya stuff them into cramped birdcages in crumbling old estates
and oh, for single guys like Ah-Kui, sigh, they're really doomed
it's a real la la la …… …… la …… ……
the authorities just go on la ……la ……… and again they go la …… ….…
in the end they go la la …… …… so it's another la …… …… la ……

There's no justice at all in your unscrupulous hole-and-corner deals
ya reconstructed the public housing alright,
but then ya sold them to affordable homeowners to earn big bucks
it made the people queueing up to get into the public housing hatta wait
again for timeless ages
and then ya say the "rich tenants" are selfish and unreasonable
and ah, the media, they will hype up whatever shit the authorities talk
they hocus-pocus the figures,
hide away real living situations and voices of the communities
the lively energy of mutual help is ignored
and everybody is turned into just another number

Angrily I sing this song to condemn this system
the fat and big authorities and business pepole don't care a shit
about our rights of living, our rights to residency
everyone of us grassrooties in the community
hatta make an effort, gather our voices and change the policies
hey, Hongkong islanders, Kowloonese and folks from the New territories,
let's all gather in solidarity,
let's turn the public space into our discussion platform,
and we will directly voice out our demands
mutual help and encouragement make our action and our will strong