The struggle is joy

I got a lovely CD single in the post all the way from Portugal. It is the vibrant Portuguese Eurovision entry – the struggle is joy. Sadly, it didn’t make it to the final in Dusseldorf, but I think it was a hugely refreshing change from the usual bland, Eurovision entries.

The song is a celebration of the 1976 Carnation revolution, which overthrew the ultra right-wing dictatorial regime in Portugal. It speaks of the young and the old coming together in struggle to win a better society and is hugely relevant, given the debt crisis across Europe at the moment.

A Luta E Alegria – The struggle is joy

Often you feel hopeless,
Often you distrust.
Often you worry,
Often you despair.

It’s no use to pull the belt ever tighter,
It’s no use to moan about life,
It’s no use to feel sad and down,
It’s no use getting angry to help you go on.

By day or by night – the struggle is joy
The masses march on, they are shouting in the streets.

Bring us bread, bring us cheese, bring us wine!
Young and old, fight together
Bring us bread, bring us cheese, bring us wine!
Young and old, fight together
Let’s celebrate and sing against oppression.

Many are those that say “Be careful”,
Many are those that wish to shut you up.
Many are those who make you uncertain,
Many are those who would sell the air we breathe.

La luta continua!

In Greece and Ireland, the party I belong to, the CWI (Committee for a Workers’ International) has put forward the idea that we should right off debts owed by the government. We can’t trust the IMF bailouts, as they inevitably come with a slash and burn approach to public services.

The only answer is for mass movements of ordinary people to take action to defend jobs and services, to fight back against austerity cuts and unite in strikes and in a political voice for ordinary people. In a small way, the Socialist Party is beginning to do this in Britain through TUSC – but we need this to grow rapidly if we are to defeat the Con-dem cuts.

Tags: debt, eurovision, music, portugal