[Verse 1: Paul Kelly]
Welcome, strangers, to the show
I'm the one who should be lying low
Saw the knives out, turned my back
Heard the train coming, stayed right on that track
[Chorus: Paul Kelly]
In the middle, in the middle
In the middle of a dream
I lost my shirt, I pawned my rings
I've done all the dumb things
[Verse 2: Trials]
Yeah, them dumb things
This goin' out to my brothers down there in Don Dale
Dealin' with that disaster
That them guards are there and not jail
Thinking we gettin' our welfare, huh?
Thinking we gettin' our healthcare, huh?
Think about if it was your son
Now think about sending some help there, yeah
What's dumber than that, mate?
What's dumber than dressing up blackface?
What's dumber than doing it knowing it hurts
And don't even work to make that change?
Let's go
[Chorus: Paul Kelly]
In the middle, in the middle
In the middle of a dream
I lost my shirt, I pawned my rings
I've done all the dumb things
[Verse 3: Briggs]
We got
We got islands for the ones who seekin' asylum
We got silence for the ones who died in confinement
If you're complacent to the words of a racist
Don't you dare complain when that's what leading your nation
Send in the clowns, they're blackfacing
They're locking up couples, they're locking up brothers
But they ain't leavin' the station
The date's changin'
[Chorus: Paul Kelly]
In the middle, in the middle
In the middle of a dream
I lost my shirt, I pawned my rings
I've done all the dumb things
[Interlude: Trials]
Ladies and gentlemen
On the keys and drums, Mr John, Mr Paul Bartlett AKA SixFour
On the guitar, my brother Dan Sultan
And to my right, Mr Paul Kelly
[Verse 4: Trials]
Yeah, them dumb things, lumped in
Looking for peace, but won't find it
They holdin' us back from closing the gap
By keeping them close minded
See, no surprises there, hearing both of them sirens blare
Them coppers where I'm from are kind of fair, if you kind of fair
[Verse 5: Briggs]
What's a Royal Commission
To the ones who live on a mission?
To the ones who's killed by the system?
By the ones that's meant to assist 'em?
At the hands of policemen, who's gonna police them?
They killin' us Kooris, they got it on footage
They need to release them
[Chorus: Paul Kelly]
In the middle, in the middle
In the middle of a dream
I lost my shirt, I pawned my rings
I've done all the dumb things
[Ad-Lib: Trials]
Mr John Bartlett
[Keys Solo: SixFour]
[Ad-Lib: Trials]
My brother, Dan Sultan
[Guitar Solo: Dan Sultan]
[Ad-Lib: Trials]
Mr Paul Kelly
[Harmonica Solo: Paul Kelly]
[Chorus: Paul Kelly]
In the middle, in the middle
In the middle of a dream
I lost my shirt, I pawned my rings
I've done all the dumb things
[Outro: Paul Kelly]
Yeah, I melted wax to fix my wings
Threw my hat into the ring
I thought that I just had to sing
I've done all the dumb things
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