This weekend I’ll also be listening to… songs about Thatcher and Thatcherism April 13, 2013
Posted by WorldbyStorm in Culture, This Weekend I'll Mostly Be Listening to....trackback
There are many, so feel free to add to them as you see fit. I’ll start off with some obvious ones, Robert Wyatt’s version of Elvis Costello’s Shipbuilding which is still at this remove a stunning piece of work, and with it the pretty great Heaven 17 and Fascist Groove Thing, and by the way Heaven 17 were a remarkably political group too and one deeply antagonistic to Thatcherism. Also fans of Tony Benn.
The Cedar Lounge Revolution 
This deserves a mention. Paul Weller and some of his mates recorded this as the ‘Council Collective’ to raise funds for the miners in December 1984. Its an ‘eclectic’ collection of styles, including rap, but what will strike you (if you make them out) is the lyrics- ‘if your from the working class this is your struggle too’ Junior Giscombe asking ‘just where is the backing from the TUC?’ and Motown legend Jimmy Ruffin asserting that ‘not supporting the miners’ is betraying the legacy of the trade unions. And this was on Top of the Pops!
‘As for solidarity, I don’t see none…’
LikeLike
The ‘Modfather’ is a bit of a bore these days but he was pretty bang on in the mid-1980s. This from 1985 I think.
LikeLike
Both brilliant…
LikeLike
Sorry Brian and worldbystorm – you’re both too polite .
Try this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1cErGWtd_A
This one will never make it to number one , but as a socialist , a republican and most importantly – A closet Wizard of Oz fan i’m not complaining !
LikeLike
Nice one Joekerman. Re politiness I’m thinking one track by The Exploited is out of the question… but this’ll do
LikeLike
21 Incredibly Angry Songs About Margaret Thatcher
http://www.buzzfeed.com/angelameiquan/21-incredibly-angry-songs-about-margaret-thatcher
Each of them is posted as a YouTibe film on the bizzfeed site:
The Not Sensibles, “I’m in Love with Margaret Thatcher” (1979)
The English Beat, “Stand Down Margaret” (1980)
The Blues Band, “Maggie’s Farm” (1980)
The Specials, “Ghost Town” (1981)
Poison Girls, “Another Hero” (1981)
Klaus Nomi, “Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead” (1982)
Newtown Neurotics, “Kick Out The Tories” (1982)
Pink Floyd, “The Fletcher Memorial Home” (1983)
The Varukers, “Thatcher’s Fortress” (1984)
The Larks, “Maggie Maggie Maggie (Out Out Out)” (1985)
Crass, “How Does It Feel?” (1986)
Thatcher on Acid, “Guess Who’s Running the Show” (1987)
Morrissey, “Margaret on the Guillotine” (1988)
Elvis Costello, “Tramp the Dirt Down” (1989)
Kitchens of Distinction, “Margaret’s Injection” (1989)
Sinead O’Connor, “Black Boys on Mopeds” (1990)
VIM, “Maggie’s Last Party” (1991)
Billy Bragg, “Thatcherites” (1996)
Hefner, “The Day that Thatcher Dies” (2000)
Frank Turner, “Thatcher Fucked the Kids” (2006)
Pete Wylie, “The Day that Margaret Thatcher Dies” (2011)
(And other suggestions in the comments under the post on buzzfeed.)
LikeLike
I’d forgotten KOD’s Margaret’s Injection.
Here’s another slightly obliquely political one…
LikeLike
And how could I have forgot this one :
Due to the line – “The Iron bastard , she always gets her way” in one version of this the good old beeb banned this.
This great band are finally returning to Irish shores later this year so that’ll be one not to miss.
LikeLike
Robb Johnson, one old one and one new one:
Undefeated (Thatcher era, despite the added images):
Ding Dong Thatch:
LikeLike
The story told at the beginning in this clip is so true – my copy of the EP arrived yesterday , just like that nice lady promised .
See you over on E-bay !
LikeLike
and lest we forget –
and finally , because I’m sure theres a protest I have to be at –
LikeLike
Everyone else has far too much good taste for this kind of thing but I have to admit that when I heard she’d died this was the first song I thought of and I remembered nights singing along to it in various Irish pubs in London in the late eighties. Apologies, mea culpa and all that but I cannot tell a lie.
LikeLike
Next week, I’ve Mostly Been Listening To Foster and Allen.
LikeLike
Though on a more aesthetically and politically pleasing note, mention of the great Fatima Mansions, made me think of this late Microdisney song, I think it’s Coughlan’s best lyric and it not only captures the despair of the Thatcher years for a lot of people but is also pretty appropriate to the situation we find ourselves in at the moment. Such talent.
LikeLike
And two of the very greatest songs inspired by Thatcher’s Britain. I’d say quite a few of us spent some time there, six years in my case.
LikeLike
LikeLike
The Pop Group, “She is Beyond Good and Evil” :
LikeLike
Here’s a great one from Ewan MacColl for the folk fans. The Grocer:
“Dracumag” is another good MacColl and Peggy Seeger one, but I can’t find that online anywhere.
LikeLike
Sorry – looks like your comments don’t like the embed code: http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/The+Grocer/3gtyaD?src=5
LikeLike
Good call on the Housemartins Eamonn. Another one I thought of
LikeLike
And maybe the most overtly political of them all. A Marxist and a genius.
LikeLike
Wot no Crass??!!
Sheep farming in the Falklands
Do they owe us a Living?
LikeLike
Also
Smiley Culture – Westland Helicopter
LikeLike
LikeLike
Always thought these articulated the rage of ’80s Britain better than most…
LikeLike
Late entry… Robyn Hitchcock’s depiction of Thatcher’s Britain as a sledge ride…
The ones on top are comfortable (Yeah)
They’re sitting on a human chain, a human chain
They’re sitting on a human chain
Their limbs, compressed in icy slush,
Are freezing in a raw meat groove
LikeLike
Even Boy George got in on the anti-Thatcher act, with
“No Clause 28”:
The Blow Monkeys with Curtis Mayfield:
“Celebrate (the Day After You) :
LikeLike
Oops, they didn’t come up. Here they are:
LikeLike
Played by Billy Bragg in Dublin the night she resigned
LikeLike
UB40 Madam Medusa
LikeLike
Great shout
LikeLike
This is England opening credits
LikeLike
comment of mine got sucked into spam I think
LikeLike
It did indeed. Restored now.
LikeLike
Great portrait of the mighty Wyatt by Irish photographer Ivor Prickett.
LikeLike
great call dr nightdub the redskins spent most of their time raising funds for the miners and fighting fascism, keep on keepin on
LikeLike
LikeLike
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxhmT05bgnA Test Dept. A Statement. Heard this yesterday for the first time. Scary and Powerful.
LikeLike
As the oldest person here, I’m surpirsed you young hooligans missed this:
Also, take the opportunity to explore the greatest socialist songscribe of the 20th Century
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Yip_Harburg
http://www.haaretz.com/news/features/this-day-in-jewish-history/this-day-in-jewish-history-over-the-rainbow-writer-is-born-1.514210
LikeLike