It is important to get
into the mind of people of the time, and music is sometimes a good indicator.
Unfortunately in modern times we tend to read a single view of the words of
songs and not necessarily the meaning that people would have had at the time. Before
the 1950s the British Empire and British Commonwealth was, to significant
proportion of the world’s population, including those in Britain’s colonies,
believed to a defender of freedom, democracy, rule of law, etc. This partly due
to the fact that Britain up to WWII was almost unique (I won't say totally
unique as someone will find other examples) in peacefully granting total
independence to some of her colonies. Also we tend to forget these days how
very, very few liberal parliamentary democracies existed in the first half of
the 20th century. It must also be remembered that once you deduct
the U.S.A. and those independent members of the British Commonwealth of
Nations, the number of democracies was pathetically small indeed. Even in some
of Britain’s colonies and protectorates democratic representative
constitutional government had progressed further that most other countries.
Thus to many people the worlds of these songs were not of conquest, but rather of defence of freedom and the rights of free men.
The importance of this was explained to me by my father when me gave examples of how the power of songs help in the struggle of wills between the Japanese and the allied Prisoners of War and help maintaining unity amongst the PoWs in their daily struggle for survival.
On one occasion at Changi, the was a variety concert, which had a large audience including number of Japanese officers attending. At the end of the concert a much beloved and admired officer by the name of Major Reginald (“Reggie” or “Rollie”) Oats jumped up onto the stage and announced, “Gentlemen, The King.”, the audience (that except for the Japanese) sprang to attention and there occurred one of the fastest rendering of the first verse of “God Save the King” by an orchestra and massed voices, then the lights went out and there was mass rush for the exits and by the time power was restored the was only an empty venue.
This was particularly noticeable after the Japanese banded allied national anthems. “Land of Hope And Glory” was used as an alternate national anthem by the British Commonwealth and Empire military and civilian prisoners.
“Rule Britannia” was many times sung by prisoners on the march to demonstrate that “Britons never, never, never will be slaves” despite that fact that were used as slave labourers.
God Save the King (standard version)
God save our gracious King,
Long live our noble King,
God save the King:
Send him victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us:
God save the King.
O Lord, our God, arise,
Scatter his enemies,
And make them fall.
Confound their politics,
Frustrate their knavish tricks,
On Thee our hopes we fix,
God save us all.
Thy choicest gifts in store,
On him be pleased to pour;
Long may he reign:
May he defend our laws,
And ever give us cause
With heart and voice to sing,
God save the King
In the 18thcentury verses each had the two lines of :
"Rule, Britannia! rule the waves :
"Britons never will be slaves."
but by the 20th century these two lines had evolved into a chorus of :
Rule Britannia!
Britannia rule the waves
Britons never, never, never will be slaves.
Rule Britannia!
Britannia rule the waves.
Britons never, never, never will be slaves.
Verse 1
When Britain first, at Heaven's command
Arose from out the azure main;
This was the charter of the land,
And guardian angels sang this strain:
"Rule, Britannia! rule the waves:
"Britons never will be slaves."
Verse 2
The nations, not so blest as thee,
Must, in their turns, to tyrants fall;
While thou shalt flourish great and free,
The dread and envy of them all.
"Rule, Britannia! rule the waves:
"Britons never will be slaves."
Verse 3
Still more majestic shalt thou rise,
More dreadful, from each foreign stroke;
As the loud blast that tears the skies,
Serves but to root thy native oak.
"Rule, Britannia! rule the waves:
"Britons never will be slaves."
Verse 4
Thee haughty tyrants ne'er shall tame:
All their attempts to bend thee down,
Will but arouse thy generous flame;
But work their woe, and thy renown.
"Rule, Britannia! rule the waves:
"Britons never will be slaves."
Verse 5
To thee belongs the rural reign;
Thy cities shall with commerce shine:
All thine shall be the subject main,
And every shore it circles thine.
"Rule, Britannia! rule the waves:
"Britons never will be slaves."
Verse 6
The Muses, still with freedom found,
Shall to thy happy coast repair;
Blest Isle! With matchless beauty crown'd,
And manly hearts to guard the fair.
"Rule, Britannia! rule the waves:
"Britons never will be slaves."
Land of Hope and Glory
Solo
Dear Land of Hope, thy hope is crowned,
God make thee mightier yet !
On Sov'ran brows, beloved, renowned,
Once more thy crown is set.
Thine equal laws, by Freedom gained,
Have ruled thee well and long ;
By Freedom gained, by Truth maintained,
Thine Empire shall be strong.
Chorus
Land of Hope and Glory, Mother of the Free,
How shall we extol thee, who are born of thee?
Wider still and wider shall thy bounds be set;
God, who made thee mighty, make thee mightier yet,
God, who made thee mighty, make thee mightier yet.
Solo
Thy fame is ancient as the days,
As Ocean large and wide :
A pride that dares, and heeds not praise,
A stern and silent pride ;
Not that false joy that dreams content
With what our sires have won ;
The blood a hero sire hath spent
Still nerves a hero son.
Heart of Oak
Come cheer up, my lads! 'tis to glory we steer,
To add something more to this wonderful year;
To honour we call you, not press you like slaves,
For who are so free as the sons of the waves?
Chorus
Heart of oak are our ships, heart of oak are our
men;
We always are ready, steady, boys, steady!
We'll fight and we'll conquer again and again.
We ne'er see our foes but we wish them to stay,
They never see us but they wish us away;
If they run, why we follow, and run them ashore,
For if they won't fight us, we cannot do more.
Chorus
They swear they'll invade us, these terrible foes,
They frighten our women, our children, and beaus;
But should their flat bottoms in darkness get o'er,
Still Britons they'll find to receive them on shore.
Chorus
We'll still make them fear, and we'll still make them flee,
And drub 'em on shore, as we've drubb'd 'em at sea;
Then cheer up, my lads! with one heart let us sing:
Our soldiers, our sailors, our statesmen and Queen.
Chorus
Come, cheer up, my lads, 'tis to glory we steer,
To add something more to this wonderful year;
To honour we call you, as freemen not slaves,
For who are so free as the sons of the waves
(Chorus sung once...)
Heart of oak are our ships, jolly tars are our men,
we always are ready; Steady, boys, steady!
We'll fight and we'll conquer again and again.
We ne'er see our foes but we wish them to stay,
They never see us but they wish us away;
If they run,why we follow and run them ashore,
And if they won't fight us, what can we do more.
(Chorus sung once...)
we still make them feel and we still make them flee,
and drub them at shore as we drub them at sea,
so cheer up me lads with one heart let us sing,
oh soldiers and sailors, our statesmen and king.
(Chorus sung once...)
Jerusalem (also known as “And did those feet in ancient time”)
And did those feet in ancient time.
Walk upon England's mountains green:
And was the holy Lamb of God,
On England's pleasant pastures seen!
And did the Countenance Divine,
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here,
Among these dark Satanic Mills?
Bring me my Bow of burning gold;
Bring me my Arrows of desire:
Bring me my Spear: O clouds unfold!
Bring me my Chariot of fire!
I will not cease from Mental Fight,
Nor shall my Sword sleep in my hand:
Till we have built Jerusalem,
In England's green & pleasant Land
These days the words are dated and politically incorrect but in their day they
inspired people of many cultures, races, beliefs to fight and die for a dying
empire and its values.
Well just some more window dressing.
Cheers everyone …
Geoff
P.S.
Anybody out there had this experience….
Today the family was at a concert with a Captain Feathersword, Dorothy the Dinosaur, a Wags the Dog, a Henry the Octopus, a cast of dances and group for men in different coloured tops by the names of Anthony, Jeff, Murray and Sam. What is their name, I remember, the Wiggles. There seemed to be a very large number of excited small children there for some reason. A good time was had by all.
