Bad Manners
 
I’m such a silly billy, I drive myself insane
I’m too polite for toffee, it’s imprinted in my brain
Politeness was drummed into me from quite an early age
Bad table manners frequently drove dad into a rage
 
We were taught to show respect, be patient - after you
But I’m beginning to suspect good manners hamper you
I say please and thank you to Alexa for goodness sake
I join the back of every queue, this habits hard to break
 
Do manners have a value in today’s society?
To be honest, I’m not sure they do, there’s scant civility
People push and shove you, rush by without a thought
No holding doors, just barge right through, good manners count for nought
 
They don’t think to say they’re sorry, they just look the other way
They’ll mow you down indifferently, don’t care if you’re okay
Not me, I’m quite the opposite, I must make people laugh
If I hold the door for others, they treat me like I’m staff
 
I end up feeling stupid, do my manners have no place?
Next time I’ll leave the door, let it slam in someone’s face
But I don’t want to live like that, there wouldn’t be much joy
If you can’t be kind and courteous among the hoi polloi
 
On reflection, I do worry though, where will it all end?
It’s a sad day if manners become a dying trend
But I do feel like a proper chump, I apologise too freely
Why the hell did I say “sorry” when it was you who bumped into me??!