Jerusalem - the 'National Anthem of England'?

[studio150]

Why are they not playing the ELP version?

 

[knocky1]

Blake was a fascinating and complex character, deeply religious and non-conformist. He was light years ahead of his time in terms of his views on race, democracy and the rights of men and women. He actually did see angels and demons, once running from his house when he encountered the devil in his hallway. He was arrested in Felpham for sedition. If I recall correctly, he was arguing with a drunken soldier who was being a tad too patriotic for the likes of Blake and in or near Blake's garden.

His religion was deeply mystical and he did believe truly that England was God's new Jerusalem and home to the Holy Grail, brought to this fair land by Joseph of Arimathea, hence the words in the poem. The lines about 'dark satanic mills' is widely believed to refer to Blake's disgust at the de-humanising Industrial Revolution and in particular to a certain Albion Flour Mills in Southwark.

I like Blake a lot. Mad as a march hare, a multi-talented artist, a pioneer in copper-plate art and a true Englishman. Peter Ackroyd's biography of him is superb.

Good summary of a life. Don't forget the Greeks had forward thinkers on Democracy and peoples rights 2,500 years ago. maybe not race but possibly.

 

[knocky1]

Why are they not playing the ELP version?

I like Blake's Sgt Peppers album cover.....

 

[knocky1]

Definitely not race!

 

[stripeyshark]

Good summary of a life. Don't forget the Greeks had forward thinkers on Democracy and peoples rights 2,500 years ago. maybe not race but possibly.

Yeah, whilst keeping most of the population as slaves.

 

[daveinprague]

Not sure that a national anthem, that includes the name of the UN's serial offenders capital in the lyrics, is a good message to put out.

 

[The Wizard]

Got to be honest, watching that medal ceremony for the cycling I bloody LOVE Jerusalem as an anthem, it has so much more about it than our current one. I've said it before but I prefer it by a mile to GSTQ.

 

[RexCathedra]

Blake was a fascinating and complex character, deeply religious and non-conformist.

Getting on for 45 years ago, came to Blake via 'Jerusalem' (it's part of his Milton, a long poem], and to that originally via Emerson, Lake and Palmer.
As an artist, Blake had some considerable influence, IMHO, on album-cover art in the 60's and 70's....
Read him for a semester in uni.

Second on the Ackroyd bio. Reading it reminds one that Britain in the late 18th and early 19th c. was a very turbulent place -- differing in degree perhaps from France, but not really in kind...

 

[Matrix10]

Don't forget dear old Hubert Parry, he wrote the tune

 

[RexCathedra]

Indeed. Holst, Vaughan Williams, Bridge and Ireland all studied with Parry.
I wish my students turned out that well.

 

[Uncle C]

Can you imagine Rooney trying to sing Jerusalem?

And did those erm feet in erm ancient erm times
erm walk upon erm da da da da da.
dum dum dum dum
Do do do dody do.

I dont think he'd get past 'ancient' - that's got two syllables.

 

[pauli cee]

Been on many an England cricket tour, nothing better than starting the day with a rousing rendition of Jerusalem, and a couple of cold beers, Happy days.................

 

[dougdeep]

Exactly... how is that a 'national anthem' ??

Nobody said that it was.

 

[Titanic]

Nobody said that it was.

Yes they did. The announcer at the Commonwealth Games medal ceremony asked for people to stand for the national anthem of England.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Don't forget dear old Hubert Parry, he wrote the tune

I love the tune. The lyrics are awful. Maybe someone should re-write the lyrics to befit an national anthem.

 

[knocky1]

Nobody said that it was.

Wake up.

 

[jakarta]

I love the tune. The lyrics are awful. Maybe someone should re-write the lyrics to befit an national anthem.

Oh dear, I think the lyrics are magnificent (if slightly bonkers) as befits their composer.....

I have had problems in the past singing the second verse due to welling up thinking about their significance. Sorry if that is a bit Pseuds Corner!

 

[Buzzer]

I love the tune. The lyrics are awful. Maybe someone should re-write the lyrics to befit an national anthem.

What? Are you serious? The words are perfect. It sends a shiver down my spine every time I hear Jerusalem sung.

Tell you what though - just for you, the KLF did a great job of re-interpreting the tune with this splendid effort. (The Jerusalem tune is at the end)

 

[KingKev]

Not sure that a national anthem, that includes the name of the UN's serial offenders capital in the lyrics, is a good message to put out.

It's not the capital of anywhere though is it - it's an illegally occupied city. But your point stands DIP.

 

[The Mole]

Shouldn't we just have the last verse of god save the queen!