Rubber Chicken Factory

A Satirical Song About Capitalist Aspiration

For a while I’ve been playing with writing the lyrics of this satirical song set in the 80s:

In the rubber chicken factory I toil all day
A cog in the machine, working for lousy pay
The work is fowl, I couldn’t give a cluck
But I punch my card, hoping for better luck

My friends make fun of my conveyor-belt job
But what do they know, that bunch of yobs
Least I’m not picking rubbish and cleaning loos
I don’t smell of crap when the day is through

At least it’s honest work putting in the stuffing
For a kid who left school achieving nothing
They say these days you can’t rely on society
So I guess my success is going to be down to me

Chorus –
One day I’ll be part of the petit bourgeoisie
Working at the rubber chicken factory
My boss will bow and scrape, I’ll be rich and free
No more filling up rubber chickens for me
Working at the rubber chicken factory
Working at the rubber chicken factory

I see the salesmen in their snazzy suits
Hear about their wild parties, what a hoot
See their Ford Cortinas shiny and new
I can sell chickens if thats what I gotta do

Now I’m on the up – I look quite the yuppie
Those old friends want nothing to do with me
But I don’t care I’ve got a new fancy bird
To drink babycham with, while they shovel turd

(Chorus)

These new chicken models they are all the rage
They’ve started a rubber chicken craze
The lager flows freely and the money too
Benidorm’s calling, a holiday’s overdue

But I’m not stopping at just sales manager
I want the prestige only being CEO could confer
Then I’ll rule on the rubber chicken throne
& won’t need anyone, I’ll enjoy my riches alone

Chorus –
Now I’m part of the petit bourgeoisie
Ruling over the rubber chicken factory
I’m the boss, I’m rich and free
No more filling up rubber chickens for me
It’s my rubber chicken factory
All my rubber chicken factory

I've got no friends, my employees all hate me
And my plastic wife says she wants to be free
At least she'll do well from the alimony
But no one will lay flowers at the cemetery

That's what I gave to capitalism, you see
My life for the rubber chicken factory

Note: the attitudes the character has in this poem are not my own.

---

Here is some better poetry by someone else -