Song written and performed by Leigh Stirling.

Yard Stick

I don't accept you as the yardstick of my life
You cannot speak for me and decide what's wrong or right
I'm the only one who can tell you what I need
So go and find another little job
And another little life to bleed.

You say you're sorry but the money isn't there
Then waste even more with your proposals in the air
Your salary and expenses could really go somewhere

Sorry but I have to say

I don't accept you as the yardstick of my life
You cannot speak for me and decide what's wrong or right
I'm the only one who can tell you what I need
So go and find another little job
And another little life to bleed.

Forelock tugging, cap in hand, down on bended knees
1000 application forms and ways of saying please
Raise your image by all means but beg in secret please

Sorry but I have to say

I don't accept you as the yardstick of my life
You cannot speak for me and decide what's wrong or right
I'm the only one who can tell you what I need
Go and find another little job and another little life to bleed!

I supply you with your needs if you can prove to me
You have the required level of disability
And if you don't quite qualify you have my sympathy

Sorry but I have to say

I don't accept you as the yardstick of my life
You cannot speak for me and decide what's wrong or right
I'm the only one who can tell YOU what I need
go and find another little job
and another little life to bleed!

An attitude of gratitude is what we like to see
The humbler you are, the nicer I may be
To grant you your access to your democracy

Sorry but I have to say
I don't accept you as the yardstick of my life
You will not speak for me and decide what's wrong or right
I'm the only one who can tell you what I need
Go and find another little job
and another little life to bleed-

Yes I'm the only one who can tell you what I need
Go and find another little job and another little life to bleed.

Song written and performed by Clair Lewis (now Mx Dennis Queen).

Come Here

Come here, come and see,
Come and feel, come and be.
Come and hear,
come and see
Come and do, come with me.

gotta little story to tell you.
just some stories
about me, about you.
got some questions
about what to do.
and a few ideas
you can use.

From our people
fighting on the fringe,
banging doors
shouting “let us in!”
TO our people
stuck inside:
we can help you out
if you dare to try.

Come here, come and see,
Come and feel, come and be.
Come and hear,
come and see
Come and do, come with me.

gotta stop taking
all the blame.
gotta stop hanging
our heads in shame.
gotta start learning
how to say no.
gotta start making
some space of our own.

this world changes
every day,
we all take part -
how did you join in today?
How can we change it
Our way?
We all know something.
We all have a place.

Come here, come and see,
Come and feel, come and be.
Come and hear,
come and see
Come and do, come with me.

so what’s your story?
what can you do?
What’s your interest?
What do you know?
We’ve all got something
No-one else can do.
Mine is this..
Let’s see yours too.

Come here, come and see,
Come and feel, come and be.
Come and hear,
come and see
Come and do, come with me.

Come here, come and see,
Come and feel, come and be.
Come and hear,
come and see
Come and do, come with me.

Come here, come and see,
Come and feel, come and be.
Come and hear,
come and see
Come and do, come with me.

Poem written and performed by Sue Napolitano.

On Being Special

We cannot afford
To admit
To being special.
For us the word
Has been loaded with chains,
Has been made into a prison
Or zoo
Where voyeurs
peer through
The bars
At our antics

To be special is to be gawped at
With horror and glee
As we show purple buttocks
And have peanuts
Poked at us.

To be "special"
Is to be aware
Moment by aching moment
Of the gaping distances
Between our lives
And that other busy world
That keeps us out.

We have to insist on our ordinariness,
Fight for it's recognition.
We breath air, eat food, love, hate, need, give.
We are human.
We have to insist, as Shylock did,
And insist,
And insist.

And yet
When my lover looks into my eyes
Like she is looking into the deep well of me;
When my baby laughs into my face
Like we have always been connected,
Soul to soul;
When the sun shines on me
And flowers bloom around me…….

Then I know it's time
To reclaim this word,
Throw off it's chains,
Unlock the prison
Dismantle the cages at the zoo.

Its time to admit-
Yes, I am special
And you, and you, and you,
And YOU
Are special too.

Song written and performed by Ian Stanton.

Takin’ Liberties

Some people call me a rebel,
Some people call me a red,
One time I'd lie awake and worry
Just exactly what it was I'd said.
I may be older, I may be wiser,
but these days I sleep peaceful in my bed

Because I'm takin' liberties, takin' liberties, taking liberties with me.
Yes, I'm takin' liberties, there's nobody else I'd rather be, I'm takin' liberties with me.

I never climbed any mountain,
I never wanted much to try.
Don't need to live in a bird cage
Wonderin' what it feels like to fly.
Now I soar just like an Eagle,
And I'm dropping little presents from the sky.

Because I'm takin' liberties, takin' liberties, taking liberties with me.
Yes, I'm takin' liberties, there's nobody else I'd rather be, I'm takin' liberties with me.

Takin' liberties, I've got my own authority,
Takin liberties, nobody that I oughtta be,
Takin liberties - FEELIN' FREE..
Takin' liberties with me.

Don't need no misunderstanding,
I've got no rationals to pay.
I've got no knees, I've got no standing..
What's the big attraction anyway?
As I roll into the sunset,
there's just one more thing I gotta say, it's that I'm

Takin' liberties, takin' liberties, taking liberties with me.
Yes, I'm takin' liberties, there's nobody else I'd rather be, I'm takin' liberties with me.

Takin' liberties, I've got my own authority,
Takin liberties, nobody that I oughtta be,
Takin liberties - FEELIN' FREE..
Takin' liberties with me.

Song written and performed by The Tokens.

Plastic Spastic

Plastic spastics on the street
angel faces look so sweet.
An image of passivity
it’s all for charity.

I’ve always known there’ll come a day
patronage will cease,
then we’ll get some peace,
and that we will find a way
to smash those images down.

Only one way to succeed,
we must bite the hands that feed,
and never more be forced to plead
for life and dignity.

I’ve always known there’ll come a day
patronage will cease
then we’ll get some peace,
and that we will find a way
to smash those images down.

Jimmy Saville’s platitudes,
smiling stars whose attitudes
have kept us safely locked away,
well, we’re not goin’a play.

I’ve always known there’ll come a day
patronage will cease
then we’ll get some peace,
and that we will find a way
to smash those images down.

Take a crowbar to each tin,
throw the whole lot in the bin,
and dorb those posters with your brush,
gratitude we will crush.

I’ve always known there’ll come a day
patronage will cease
then we’ll get some peace,
and that we will find a way
to smash those images down.

I’ve always known there’ll come a day
patronage will cease
then we’ll get some peace,
and that we will find a way
to smash those images down
to the ground!

Song written and performed by Johnny Crescendo.

Ballad Of Josie Evans

Josie was a wheelchair user spent 11 years inside
A short stay institution where she was banged up without trial
11 years the white coats met and talked and analyzed
Dispensed the drugs politely until one day Josie died

Not me said the social worker I was Josie's friend
She was our best customer I was with her till the end
Our boss said no resources were available at the time
And I'm just an employee can't put my job on the line

Not me said the director I can't be held to blame
It's the politicians who make decisions I'm just a pawn in their game I agree
Most strongly that Ms Evans was done wrong
But the council wanted cuts and I had to sing their song

And the finger of guilt draws a circle in the sand
And who'll take the blame for the desperate and the dammed
And which people vote for injustice in the land
Is it you or your mother is it you?

Well the leader of the council wrung his hands and shook his fist
Scandal such as this
You gotta blame the government for a
Blame Thatcher blame John Major blame the ones that put them in
Then he went to wash his hands declaring he was clean of sin

I give to charity everyday said John Major at the table
It's the very least that I can do to help the poor disabled
Efficiency is what we need, poor management's to blame
Would you like a small donation to the memory of what's her name?

And the finger of guilt draws a circle in the sand
And who'll take the blame for the desperate and the dammed
And which people vote for injustice in the land
Is it you or your mother is it you?

Josie left a letter which I found amongst her things
It said I am and I survive and my heart still has wings
They can take away my freedom
They can drug me with their lies
But they don't have my permission
And I hang on to my pride.

Song written by Brian Hilton.

Light The Fire

It’s not enough if they just let us be
We’ve got to take some liberties
We’ve got to raise our voices for equality

It isn’t easy and it’s taking some time
Sacrifices are made right down the line
But our pain can be soothed away by equality

And it’s hard to fight if you’re all alone
But through unity our strength will grow
As we strive for a time of equality

We can find power in our common cause
As we break the mould and change some laws
And light the torch of equality

Fight the fight light the fire
A million voices and our flame gets higher

We’ve been oppressed throughout history
We were first to go in Hitler’s Germany
We must fight the fight for equality

Access, education, jobs and homes
The right to live together or live alone
We’ve got a right to demand our equality

And it’s hard to fight if you’re all alone
But through unity our strength will grow
As we strive for a time of equality
We can find power in our common cause
As we break the mould and change some laws
And light the torch of equality

Fight the fight light the fire
A million voices and our flame gets higher
Braille more books, sign the news
Ramp the steps, have a right to choose
Fan the flames of equality.

Song written and performed by The Fugertivs.

Rights Not Charity

Are you ready Steve?
A, a.
Andy?
a, a, a.
Nick?
a, aa?
Alright then, let’s gooooo!
1, 2, 3, 4.

You rattle your tin to make money for me, and every November you’re on the TV
havin’ fun while your voice oozes sinserity
While you pleed to viewers to give generously

But we want rights not charity.
We want rights, we want rights not charity.
Rights rights rights not charity.
Cos charity keeps me where you think I should be.

We got ? girls with calipers and holes in their head.
Now if you give a pound you get badges instead
We’ll take your golden heart and just go home to bed.
Cos we need your little badges like a hole in the head.

Cos we want rights not charity.
We want rights, we want rights not charity.
Rights rights rights not charity,
Cos charity makes me what you think I should be.

We raise lots of cash for hopeless cases
We’re very genuine in what we do.

You get your kicks performing in a charity band
Singing people songs you think you’re lending a hand
And your condesending concerts are in constant demand
And all they prove to me is that you don’t understand.

We want rights not charity.
We want rights, we want rights not charity.
Rights rights rights not charity,
So take your shakin’ tins and ? charitably.

Song written and performed by The Tokens.

Rowdy Proud

Shooby dooby dooby doo bop bop du shooby dooby,
Shooby dooby dooby doo bop bop shoo dyke,
Baa baa, shoo bop doo lesi lesi,
baa baa, shoo bop doo dyke.

Disabled dykes come in all shapes and sizes
we’re everywhere, we’ve always been around.
Rowdy proud disabled dykes are coming out.

Creeping out of all the institutions,
crashing down the doors of padded cells.
Rowdy proud disabled dykes are coming out.

They will never stifle our emotions,
drugging us with pills and nasty potions.
Rowdy proud disabled dykes are coming out.

Never will they crush our loud defiance,
force us meekly into compliance.
Rowdy proud disabled dykes are coming out.

Cruising in the dorms of special schools,
finding sisters everywhere we turn.
Rowdy proud disabled dykes are coming out.

Sneaking out of residential centres,
storming out of hospitals and homes.
Rowdy proud disabled dykes are coming out.

They will never stifle our emotions,
drugging us with pills and nasty potions.
Rowdy proud disabled dykes are coming out.

Never will they crush our loud defiance,
force us meekly into compliance.
Rowdy proud disabled dykes are coming out.
Weaving baskets in the day centres,
we are plotting ways to break their hold.
Rowdy proud disabled dykes are coming out.

Because disabled dykes come in all shapes and sizes
We’re everywhere, we’ve always been around.
Rowdy proud disabled dykes are coming out.

Yeh, yeh, yeh,
Rowdy proud disabled dykes are coming out,
Oh yeh, yeh,
Rowdy proud disabled dykes are coming out

Song written and performed by Leigh Stirling.

Those Who Came Before

Put your cards on the table
Put a tiger in your eyes
Put a fire in your belly
Burn your disguise.
You got an army at your shoulder
You got a book upon the shelf
You got a wall that stands between you
An’ yourself.

Here’s to those who scaled that wall before us,
Here’s to those standing by your side,
Here’s to those who come and join the chorus,
Tear the doors of freedom open wide!

You gotta change your way of thinkin’,
Theirs’ as well as yours,
Don’t keep looking at your life
Through rose coloured doors.
It’s time you took some action
Now instead’a soon
Don’t accept that you were born
On the dark side of the moon.

Here’s to those who wrote that poem before us. ?#?
Here’s to those standing by your side,
Here’s to those who come and join the chorus,
Tear the doors of freedom open wide!

Wake up to the mornin’
Wake up to the day,
Wake up to the dawnin’
Of living life your way.
Wake up to the mornin’
Wake up to the day,
Wake up to the dawnin’
Of living life your way.

Put power to your elbow
Put a price upon your head
Put some pride into your spirit
Otherwise you’re dead.

That’s the way some would prefer it
While they ride upon your back,
They’re only here
As long as fear
Keeps you on their track.

Here’s to those who broke that track before us,
Here’s to those who’re standing by my side,
Here’s to those who come and join the chorus,
Tear the doors of freedom open wide!

Wake up to the mornin’
Wake up to the day,
Wake up to the dawnin’
Of living life your way.
Wake up to the mornin’
Wake up to the day,
Wake up to the dawnin’
Of living life your way.

Wake up to the dawnin’

Wake up to the mornin’
Wake up to the day,
Wake up to the mornin’
Wake up to the day,
Wake up to the dawnin’
Of living life your way.

Ooooo, Wake up to the mornin’
Wake up to the day,
Wake up to the dawnin’
Of living life your way.

Wake up to the mornin’
Wake up to the day,
Wake up to the dawnin’
Of living life your way.

Wake up!