Penny Capitalists

Lyrics

The careless purveyors of high culture are
Presented with clear alternatives. One of them is
Finally to be fixed as the harmless class, the
Dangerous harmless class, the social and historical
Scum; for the most part, the bribed flunkey (tool)
Of reactionary intrigue, the worst of all possible
Allies, absolutely venal and absolutely cunning, a
Wholly indefinite disintegrated mass thrown here
And there, rich and poor, offal, organ-grinders, rag-
Pickers, mountebanks… The helpless dregs who turn
In circles between suicide and a tedious madness
Incapable of the uncritical violence which is their
True heritage, a plague zone which can’t be cleansed
By the plague. Or they can seldom find their way
Around the countryside, recognise that they are a
Non-working, not-working class — penny capitalists —
And ask themselves what that means: become people
In process

Chronology

• Corrected Slogans

Interpretations

File:Support-School-poster.webp

"Support School" poster, 1976

• The vocal track was done by Mel Ramsden. It was the only contribution from Art & Language New York on Corrected Slogans
• The text was also used on a 1976 poster for Philip Pilkington and David Rushton's School magazine project