Songs associated with England
There are thousands of traditional songs and sayings in England. Many
of them tell stories about British history. For example, here's one
about the Great Plague:
Ring a ring o' roses,
A pocket full of posies,
Atishoo! Atishoo!
We all fall down.
The Great Plague was an illness and it killed millions of people in
Europe in the seventeenth century. One of the signs of the illness was
a circle of red marks. They looked like roses, and that explains the
first line of the song. In the second line, "posies" are small bunches
of flowers. People carried flowers because of the smell of the Plague.
"A tishoo" is the sound of a sneeze. That was another sign of the
Plague. Then after a few days people "fell down" or died.
Traditional and patriotic songs of England
England's most patriotic song is Jerusalem by William Blake.
Jerusalem
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 those clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here,
Among those 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 and pleasant land.
-- William Blake
Rule Britannia
When Britain first, at Heaven's command
Arose from out the azure main,
Arose from, arose from out the azure main;
This was the charter, the charter of the Land
And Guardian Angels sang this strain:
Rule Britannia, Britannia rule the waves!
Britons never, ever, ever shall be slaves.
Rule Britannia, Britannia rule the waves!
Britons never, ever, ever shall be slaves.
The nations, not so blest as thee,
Must, in their turns, to tyrants fall,
Must, in their turns, to tyrants fall;
While thou shalt flourish great and free,
The dread and envy of them all.
Rule Britannia, Britannia rule the waves!
Britons never, ever, ever shall be slaves.
Rule Britannia, Britannia rule the waves!
Britons never, ever, ever shall be slaves.
Still more majestic shalt thou rise,
More dreadful from each foreign stroke;
More dreadful, dreadful from each foreign stroke.
As the loud blast, the blast that tears the skies
Serves but to root the native oak.
Rule Britannia, Britannia rule the waves!
Britons never, ever, ever shall be slaves.
Rule Britannia, Britannia rule the waves!
Britons never, ever, ever shall be slaves.
Thee haughty tyrants ne'er shall tame;
All their attempts to bend thee down;
All their, all their attempts to bend thee down.
Will but arouse; arouse thy gen'rous flame,
But work their woe and their renown.
Rule Britannia, Britannia rule the waves!
Britons never, ever, ever shall be slaves.
Rule Britannia, Britannia rule the waves!
Britons never, ever, ever shall be slaves.
The Muses still with Freedom found
Shall to thy happy coast repair;
Shall to thy happy, happy coast repair.
Blest isle with matchless, with matchless beauty crown'd,
And manly hearts to guard the fair.
Rule Britannia, Britannia rule the waves!
Britons never, ever, ever shall be slaves.
Rule Britannia, Britannia rule the waves!
Britons never, ever, ever shall be slaves.
-- James Thomson
Land of Hope and Glory
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.
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.
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.
-- A C Benson
There'll Always Be An England
I give you a toast, ladies and gentlemen.
I give you a toast, ladies and gentlemen.
May this fair dear land we love so well
In dignity and freedom dwell.
Though worlds may change and go awry
While there is still one voice to cry - - -
There'll always be an England
While there's a country lane,
Wherever there's a cottage small
Beside a field of grain.
There'll always be an England
While there's a busy street,
Wherever there's a turning wheel,
A million marching feet.
Red, white and blue; what does it mean to you?
Surely you're proud, shout it aloud,
"Britons, awake!"
The empire too, we can depend on you.
Freedom remains. These are the chains
Nothing can break.
There'll always be an England,
And England shall be free
If England means as much to you
As England means to me.
--- Parker & Charles
White Cliffs of Dover 1942
There'll be bluebirds over the white cliffs of Dover
Tomorrow, just you wait and see
There'll be love and laughter and peace ever after
Tomorrow when the world is free
(The shepherd will tend his sheep)
(The valley will bloom again)
And Jimmy will go to sleep
In his own little room again
There'll be bluebirds over the white cliffs of Dover
Tomorrow, just you wait and see
<instrumental interlude>
There'll be bluebirds over the white cliffs of Dover
-- Nat Burton
It's a long way to Tipperary 1912
One of the most popular anthems sung by soldiers on the way to the
Western Front during summer 1914, the song was written by Jack Judge
and Harry Williams some two years earlier in 1912.
It's a long way to Tipperary
Refrain:
It's a long way to Tipperary,
It's a long way to go.
It's a long way to Tipperary
To the sweetest girl I know.
Goodbye Piccadilly,
Farewell Leicester Square,
It's a long long way to Tipperary,
But my heart lies there.
Verse 1:
Up to mighty London came
An Irish lad one day,
All the streets were paved with gold,
So everyone was gay!
Singing songs of Piccadilly,
Strand, and Leicester Square,
'Til Paddy got excited and
He shouted to them there:
Refrain
Verse 2:
Paddy wrote a letter
To his Irish Molly O',
Saying, "Should you not receive it,
Write and let me know!
If I make mistakes in "spelling",
Molly dear", said he,
" Remember it's the pen, that's bad,
Don't lay the blame on me".
Refrain
Verse 3:
Molly wrote a neat reply
To Irish Paddy O',
Saying, "Mike Maloney wants
To marry me, and so
Leave the Strand and Piccadilly,
Or you'll be to blame,
For love har fairly drove me silly,
Hoping you're the same!"
Refrain
From WWI :
That's the wrong way to tickle Marie,
That's the wrong way to kiss!
Don't you know that over here, lad,
They like it best like this!
Hooray pour le Francais!
Farewell, Angleterre!
We didn't know the way to tickle Marie,
But we learned how, over there!
Refrain
Jack Judge and Harry Williams
The British Grenadiers
Some talk of Alexander, and some of Hercules
Of Hector and Lysander, and such great names as these.
But of all the world's great heroes, there's none that can compare
With a tow, row, row, row, row, row, to the British Grenadier.
(last 2 lines of each verse can be repeated as chorus.)
Those heroes of antiquity ne'er saw a cannon ball
Or knew the force of powder to slay their foes withal.
But our brave boys do know it, and banish all their fears,
Sing tow, row, row, row, row, row, for the British Grenadier.
Whene'er we are commanded to storm the palisades
Our leaders march with fusees, and we with hand grenades.
We throw them from the glacis, about the enemies' ears.
Sing tow, row, row, row, row, row, the British Grenadiers.
And when the siege is over, we to the town repair
The townsmen cry, "Hurrah, boys, here comes a Grenadier!
Here come the Grenadiers, my boys, who know no doubts or fears!
Then sing tow, row, row, row, row, row, the British Grenadiers.
Then let us fill a bumper, and drink a health to those
Who carry caps and pouches, and wear the louped clothes.
May they and their commanders live happy all their years
With a tow, row, row, row, row, row, for the British Grenadiers.
Other songs include:
An English Country Garden - Percy Grainger
Blaydon Races - Geordie Ridley
I vow to Thee my country - Cecil Spring-Rice
A traditional children's song
"London Bridge is falling down,
Falling down,
Falling down,
London Bridge is falling down,
My fair lady."
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