I've got to say, I personally don't really rate it as a piece of music, but I'd be interested to hear opinions on the lyrics, which are contained in the original article:
a terrific song, political to its core, about loss of identity, insidious American cultural imperialism, liberal embarrassment about Englishness and the resulting loss of musical (and other) traditions
...or are the BNP entitled in claiming it as part of their rather narrow "cultural heritage"?
6 comments:
The lyrics are perfect - heartfelt and accurate. The whole album ("Witness" for those not in the know) is to be highly recommended, as indeed are their other albums. They are also superb live.
Why the snide comment about the BNP? After all, you are the one who is a British Nationalist here. The only thing that "A Show of Hands" are doing is trying to maintain the English folk tradition. Why is it only the English who ever get attacked simply for proclaiming their national heritage?
At least we have something to be proud of, rather than inventing jokes like the following:
Ulster Scots
"Why the snide comment about the BNP?"
The BNP have been using it on YouTube as background music to a campaign video.
I was hoping to open up a debate connected with the post I did about culture pre-Xmas, but aprt from you, nobody's bitten. Personally I don't think its racist; parts of the song about the dumbing down of culture as a whole I would agree with 100%, the rest raging about the apathy towards the old folk-songs and traditions, I simply don't get.
Is it the government (or the "British nationalists") who determine what songs the English wish to listen to or, with the recent example of Morris dancing, which area of folk culture the populace at large will want to keep alive? But I don't attack your heritage with this post, indeed, I'm one of the very few UK political blogs which bothers to post up videos of folk-songs, the majority of which I'd guess have been of English origin. I do that because I enjoy the music; I didn't enjoy particularly this song, but that's for musical rather than political reasons.
I'm also surprised you've put in the bit about Ulster-Scots; other than the work it does to explore our joint history, I'm not that interested in that particular movement and have never posted up anything here remotely stating otherwise. I'd also agree with Emerson that as far as possible government should keep both its nose and money out of *folk culture* (and I'd include the "indigenous" languages in that bracket). But if people enjoy examining their folk-cultures and dialect, then they don't deserve to be ridiculed for the fact- better they do that than sit and vegetate in front of the telly with the latest reality crap.
Part of the song is (quoting from memory) "the Minister says his vision of Hell, is 3 folk singers in a pub near Wells". That is referring to Kim Howells, who when Culture Minister described listening to 3 Somerset folk singers as "sounding like Hell".
Why three? Because the British government has legislated that no more than two musicians should be allowed to play together on licensed premises, legislation applying to England only.
That's right, a Welsh MP legislating against English folk culture and making his open contempt for English traditions as plain as possible.
So to answer your question. Yes. The government is indeed trying to determine what songs the English listen to and what areas of English folk culture survive. A government from outside England who have made their contempt for England very clear, and who are doing their level best to suffocate and smother any idea of of a distinctive Englishness.
Tell me, just how do you think the people of Northern Ireland, (ALL of them), would react on being told they were British ONLY, there was no such thing as Irishness and that legislation was being passed to make any expressions of a distinctive Irish dimension to their "Britishness" as difficult as possible if not outright illegal?
My guess is that they would react badly.
So why the surprise if we feel the same?
There is a line with such songs that could easily be crossed into xenophobia, racism or chavinistic nationalism.
However, this song is an example of how a forthright and political song can be written without erring into any of that.
I don't rate it much as a piece of music, there are other Show of Hands songs that are much better, but the lyrics are superb. Better than superb, fantastic.
The lyrics stand as testimony to the complete disregard for English culture that the Department of British Culture, Media and Sport displays on a daily basis.
It's best heard live, or listen to the accoustic version on their dvd. The version that you have there is over-produced and cheesy.
As for the BNP, I can only say that I know Steve Knightley and he would never have anything to do with them.
I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and attempt to get the dvd.
The government is indeed trying to determine what songs the English listen to and what areas of English folk culture survive.
Once governments attempt to get involved in culture, the opposite to what they're attempting to achieve usually happens (eg the flourishing in terms of quality of the literature produced by Russian dissidents during the time of the USSR). Actually worthwhile culture, thrives on this fight against accepted or passed down values. If they are serious about killing off English culture, then the best way is to sit back and let apathy take its course. It's no accident that English folk music is probably as strong now than it has been for many a decade.
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