Taxpayer! Beatles spoof

Someone said to me why haven’t I done a song about the MP’s expenses scandal? A great topic to capture in a song. I immediately had the idea of re-working the Beatles’ ‘Taxman’ by George Harrison to be from the point of view of the MPs.

Hear the song here. or click below.

I decided to do a studio recording of the song to sing my new lyrics over a backing that would be as close to the original as I could get. It’s one of my favourite songs off my favourite LP (it opens 1966’s ‘Revolver’). As I listened closer to it to figure out how it was made up my admiration for the Beatles as composers and performers grew (if that’s possible). It’s so neat and so tight. Paul’s bassline is groundbreaking (stolen by the Jam a decade later on ‘Start’) and his lead guitar (played on an Epiphone Casino, same as my guitar) is beautifully non-Euclidean. George’s snidey vocal shows him at his best and Ringo’s drumming is trademark minimally perfect. I don’t know who played the main guitar part – John or George – but I had to do a custom tuning to get close to the odd sound of that D7. Goodness knows what they were really playing. My effort (I play all the instruments the best I can!) recorded in a day, is just a meagre approximation. But I think you get the idea.

Hear the song here. or click video above.

The lyrics:

Let me tell you how it will be
With expenses claims on what seems right to me

Paid by the taxpayer!
Yeah by the taxpayer!

I’ll furnish my second home for free

Cos after all I’m your MP
And you’re the taxpayer!
Yeah you’re the taxpayer

If I have a castle you’ll pay for my moat
If I fancy sailing you’ll pay for my boat
If you question me I’ll sit and gloat

I’ll claim every penny, every shilling and groat
From you the taxpayer!

Don’t ask me if it’s within the rules
(Ah ah Mr Cameron)

For years we’ve treated you all as fools
(Ah ah Mr Brown)
And you’re the taxpayer!
Yeah you’re the taxpayer!

My advice to those who moan

Taxpayer!
Repay the mortgage on my non-existent loan

Taxpayer!

And you’re the taxpayer!
Yeah you’re the taxpayer!

And you’re working for no-one but me

I think George would have appreciated the sentiment.

(Photo: Haddon Davies)

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