Major Oak

Well Major Oak is an ancient tree in the middle of the Sherwood forest
It's over a thousand years old, and it's still got acorns on it
The life expectancy of an oak tree is about three hundred years
And that's why Major Oak is so revered

Well try to cast your mind back, to a thousand years ago
A bird drops an acorn into the ground and a tree starts to grow
This was back in the middle ages, when Cnut the Great was king
Seven hundred years before Newton rocked the apple tree

But this tree grew big, this tree grew strong, this tree stood it's ground
It was voted England's favourite tree in two thousand and twelve
And it stands as a symbol of history and patience
No-one in their right mind would ever try and hurt it

(Right?)

Well Ineos Group Limited are a privately-owned
Multinational chemical company based in Switzerland
With links to oil and petrol, and private equity
Tax-avoiding billionaires obsessesed with making money

They've polluted a few rivers and produced a lot of plastic
Closed a few pensions to keep the board members happy
And they really fucking love, drilling holes into the ground
Surveying for gas and then Fracking for shale
Their business and their arrogance obscures their right and wrong
They couldn't give a toss what the public want

So when you and me see a beautiful tree
They get blinded by their greed
And if there is money to be made
D'you think they're gonna let an ancient tree stand in there way?

Is nothing sacred anymore?
And is this a cause we deem worth fighting for?
The world is being plundered by the greedy and dishonest
And maybe now in order to save ourselves, we need to save Sherwood Forest

And they said: Oh no no no no no, we're not actually gonna frack in the forest
We promise we won't touch your precious tree
Yeah? Well that sounds like bullshit to me
What d'you wanna do a fucking survey for
Everybody knows what you're looking for
And everybody knows if the survey says yes
Then pretty soon the drilling will commence
They got targets to meet, they can't see past it
They don't care about the damage that they're doing to the planet
They make 34 million a year my friend
They got yachts to upkeep, neighbours to offend

So when you and me see a beautiful tree
They get blinded by their greed
And if there is money to be made
D'you think they're gonna let an ancient tree stand in there way?

Is nothing sacred anymore?
And is this a cause we deem worth fighting for?
The world is being plundered by the greedy and dishonest
And maybe now in order to save ourselves, we need to save Sherwood Forest

Now I use electricity like everybody does
I got a fully charged phone and lights in my house
I understand it's gotta come from somewhere
But we all know that they're's options out there
More wind farms, more solar panels
Look at Sweden, look at Denmark
Living proof that society
Can survive while being environmentally friendly
But we're stuck here in a carbon bubble
With fossil fuels, and a chest infection
So let's try and make Major Oak
The tree that breaks the councils back

So come and see the beautiful tree
Tell the evil company
That you wanna save, the trees