Griffintown could be any neighbourhood at all
I’ve lived long enough to watch many communities fall
people moving up, people driven out
running from the renos and the condos and the wrecking ball
uh oh…..make way for the bobos
uh oh…..the champagne socialists
uh oh…..make way for those bourgeois bohemians
uh oh…..there goes the neighbourhood
immigrants and artists living side by side
eking out a living and preserving their cultural style
cleaning up their corner, their side of the street
filling up their space with personal and civic pride
uh oh…..make way for the bobos
uh oh…..the champagne socialists
uh oh…..make way for those bourgeois bohemians
uh oh…..there goes the neighbourhood
when the gentry comes, the rents will soar
all the local colour won’t be there any more
when the gentry comes is when the colour goes
you’ll still have a face, but you cut off your nose
immigrants and artists both have economic insecurity
so they move into neighbourhoods sick with urban decay
they defibrilate before it gets too late and
pull the neighbourhood out of obscurity
uh oh…..make way for the bobos
uh oh…..the champagne socialists
uh oh…..make way for those bourgeois bohemians
uh oh…..there goes the neighbourhood
then the vultures come and kick you out of your homes
as they buy up everything in sight
when the vultures come they’ll strip you downt to the bone
bleach you away and treat you like blight
I used to live in a place like this because the rents were cheap
I had to move because it sold and the rent got steep
to hell with artsy romance, it’s all about finance
what you get to skim you get to keep
uh oh…..make way for the bobos
uh oh…..the champagne socialists
uh oh…..make way for those bourgeois bohemians
uh oh…..there goes the neighbourhood
some yuppies moved here because the streets were cool and quaint
the yuppies got older and now…the same streets ain’t
their bourgois aspirations belied their intentions
and now the bar downstairs is closed due to their complaints
uh oh…..make way for the bobos
uh oh…..the champagne socialists
uh oh…..make way for those bourgeois bohemians
uh oh…..there goes the neighbourhood
when the gentry comes, the rents will soar
all the local colour won’t be there any more
when the gentry comes is when the colour goes
you’ll still have a face, but you cut off your nose
some motherfuckers bought up five whole city blocks
said they’d look after everyone, but that was a crock
with their lululementality they destroyed a community
now with impunity we see it’s true that money talks (and walks)
when the bobos come you’ll be on the run
from their phony pseudo psych mentality
when the bobos come you’ll be on the run
from their virtual spirituality
when th bobos come you’ll be on the run
from their actual banality
uh oh…..make way for the bobos
uh oh…..the champagne socialists
uh oh…..make way for those bourgeois bohemians
uh oh…..there goes the neighbourhood
