Verse 1
Conquistador of Mexico
The Zulu and the Navaho
The Belgians in the Congo
Plantation in Virginia
The Raj in British India
The deadline in South Africa

The story of El Salvador
The silence of Hiroshima
Destruction of Cambodia

(Chorus)
Short memory, must have a short memory (x2)

Verse 2
The sight of hotels by the Nile
The designated Hilton style
With running water specially bought

A smallish man Afghanistan
A watch dog in a nervous land
They're only there to lend a hand
The friendly five a dusty smile
Wake up in a sweat at dead of night
And in the tents new rifles, hey, short memory
(Chorus)

Short Memory must have a short memory(x2)

If you read the history books you'll see the same things happen again and again
Repeat repeat short memory they've all got it
When are we going to play it again
Got a short, got a short, got a short, got a short
They've got a short must have a short they've got a short aah
Short memory, they've got a