"Petty Two-Bit Hack" - satire by The Marsh Family about the UK "lockdown files" controversy / news
Here's a little ditty that we wrote this weekend, that we're calling "Petty Two-Bit Hack" that is aimed at the controversial publication this week in the UK of a series of 100,000 WhatsApp threads. The material came into the possession of an anti-lockdown British journalist, Isabel Oakeshott, who broke a non-disclosure agreement she signed with the former Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, to make some of the material public via a broadsheet newspaper, The Daily Telegraph. She argues that it was worth betraying his trust (and exposing those he communicated with in high circles of government during the pandemic) because the information is in the public interest. In fact, all of the information had already been handed over to a formal, independent, investigation into the COVID response, which will be considering it alongside a vast tranche of other documents in the coming months. You can find more on the backdrop here, if you are interested: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politic.... Apologies but we just went for a Sunday night 'live' take without any bells and whistles as lots going on this week at work/schools, and it won't be topical for long. ________________ Thanks as ever to the people who support our musical antics through Patreon (where you can see extras like out-takes and podcasts): / marshfamilysongs . Do join us there, or just leave a tip at our tip jar at: https://paypal.me/marshfamilysongs. ________________ Lyrics: In the UK a reporter has to struggle to get by It takes time to find a story or a scoop to catch the eye You can build up lots of sources and investigate the facts Or just find some dumbass minister and publish their WhatsApps Is it in the public interest that she stabbed him in the back? Is it in the public interest that she made a massive stack? She decided on disclosure and a full frontal attack Not an ethical crusader, but a petty two-bit hack Not an ethical crusader, but a petty two-bit hack There are journalistic battles and there’s lots of muck to rake There are many media outlets - opportunities to take There’s a thousand great examples - from Iraq to Watergate But there’s little that is epic when a rat attacks a snake You don’t want to see the outcome when the flea jumps off the hog Or the maggot eats the vulture, or the tick falls off the dog It’s a pretty sad indictment of our media, of course Guess at least it’s one step better than just making up a source It’s like watching a hyena with a leopard on its back Except a leopard’s kind of graceful not an egomaniac Can’t feel sorry for the spider when the male becomes the prey If I saw them in the bathroom I would flush them both away We all care about the lockdowns and the lessons and the blame We all know a bunch of morons were in charge when trouble came And although it’s kinda fun to read their sad unguarded lines It’s also undermining what the real inquiry finds Is it in the public interest that she stabbed him in the back? Is it in the public interest that she made a massive stack? She decided on disclosure and a full frontal attack Not an ethical crusader, but a petty two-bit hack Not an ethical crusader, but a petty two-bit hack
