Constantly Overheard Peter Hammill

You can repeat it as often as you like
The story won't ring true
You've been inventing a cocktail of confections
No-one believes but you
Contradictory fictions together form a track:
Once the words have been spoken they're out
And you can't take them back

Opinions you've ventured adrift upon the wind
No council is kept your own
As quiet as you whisper your thoughts can't be preserved
For one person's ears alone
There's always an eavesdropping multitude in on your words
You always were
Overheard

Nothing's secret now
Nothing's safe and sound
Nothing's private

You didn't mean it to come out as it did
But the narrative still escaped
Benign indiscretions and confidences spilled
They've got them all down on tape
And sooner or later they'll hold you to account