England Half English
Billy Bragg and The Blokes Lyrics
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And I'm half English too
I'm a great big bundle of culture
Tied up in the red, white and blue
I'm a fine example of your Essex man
I'm well familiar with the Hindustan
'Cause my neighbors are half English too
And so am I you know
I had a plate of Marmite soldiers
Washed down with a cappuccino
And I'll have a veggie curry about once a week
The next day a fry it up as "Bubble 'N' Squeak'
'Cause my appetite's half English
And I'm half English too
Dance with me
To this very English melody
From Morris Dancing to Morrissey
All that stuff came from across the sea
Britannia she's half English
She speaks Latin at home
St. George was born in the Lebanon
How he got here I don't know
And those three lions on his shirt
They never sprung from England's dirt
Them lions are half English
And I'm half English too
Le-li Umma le-li-ya, le-li Umma le-li-ya
Le-li Umma le-li-ya, le-li, bledi g'desh akh! le-li-ya
Oh my country
Oh my country
Oh my country
What a beautiful country you are
The song "England Half-English" by Billy Bragg and The Blokes is a celebration of the mixed cultural heritage of England. The lyrics describe the singer's personal experience of being half-English, with a mother who was also half-English. The song explores what it means to be English, with references to food, music, and national symbols. The singer identifies as an Essex man, and is proud to be part of a diverse and multicultural community.
The chorus encourages the listener to dance to an "English melody," which is described as a fusion of traditional Morris dancing and the music of Morrissey, the iconic English musician. The lyrics also reference Britannia, a symbol of England, who is described as being half English herself. St. George, the patron saint of England, is also mentioned, with his origins traced back to the Lebanon.
Overall, the song celebrates the diversity and complexity of English culture, highlighting the ways in which England is influenced by and connected to other cultures around the world.
Line by Line Meaning
My mother was half English
My mother was of mixed heritage, but had English blood in her.
And I'm half English too
I also have mixed heritage and share English ancestry.
I'm a great big bundle of culture
I am a product of various cultures coming together.
Tied up in the red, white and blue
Easily identifiable as being British due to the use of the colors of the flag.
I'm a fine example of your Essex man
I am a representation of a stereotypical working-class Englishman from Essex.
I'm well familiar with the Hindustan
I am knowledgeable about the culture and history of India, due to my interest or experience with it.
'Cause my neighbors are half English too
My neighbors are of mixed heritage as well and also share English ancestry.
My breakfast was half English
The food I ate for breakfast had some English influence or origin.
And so am I you know
I am also influenced by English culture as a half-English individual.
I had a plate of Marmite soldiers
I ate toast (soldiers) with Marmite spread as a topping.
Washed down with a cappuccino
The drink I had with my breakfast was a cappuccino.
And I'll have a veggie curry about once a week
I usually eat vegetarian curry once a week.
The next day a fry it up as "Bubble 'N' Squeak'
The day after eating curry, I have a traditional English dish made out of leftover vegetables and potatoes called Bubble and Squeak.
'Cause my appetite's half English
My eating habits and preferences are influenced by English culture and cuisine.
Dance with me
Join me in celebration or enjoyment.
To this very English melody
Dance to a musical tune that is distinctly English in style or origin.
From Morris Dancing to Morrissey
From traditional English folk dance to modern English music icons like Morrissey.
All that stuff came from across the sea
Despite being seen as quintessentially English, much of England's cultural icons and traditions have been influenced by other countries and regions.
Britannia she's half English
The personification of the country of England, Britannia, is also of mixed heritage and contains English blood.
She speaks Latin at home
Latin has been a significant influence on the English language, and Britannia can be said to be fluent in it.
St. George was born in the Lebanon
Despite being England's patron saint, St. George was not actually born in England but rather in Lebanon.
How he got here I don't know
The story of how St. George became England's saint is unclear or unknown.
And those three lions on his shirt
The design of St. George's flag, which includes three lions, is associated with English heritage.
They never sprung from England's dirt
The three lions were not originally found in England's heraldry or coat of arms.
Them lions are half English
The three lions on St. George's flag are a representation of England's mixed heritage.
Oh my country
An exclamation of pride for England.
What a beautiful country you are
A compliment to England and its cultural richness.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BILLY BRAGG, SIMON EDWARDS, MARTYN BAKER, IAN MC LAGAN, BENJAMIN NORMAN MANDELSON, LOUIS EDMONDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rosaleen C
I just heard this on RTE. (John Creedon show ). I love the bones of this song ! And Billy too. X
Ruth Dixon
the musicial mixing is in the hands of a band directed by the great ex-mustapha, ben mandelson.
scriptorsilentum
the music is good even if the comments are a little loony.
Zach Weaver
Leofricson - Quick question, (I'm not privy to the multicult. discussion you are having, but you seem to know something about genetics ..) you say 5% in 5k years -- (this is an honest question, I actually don't know,) but did the Romans not breed extensively enough for them to have had an impact on our geneology? I'm only wondering because I'm really into Roman history (or have been) and am actually just getting to the point in my readings were Caesar has invaded and placated most of Gaul/Briton, I know he later left but there was other Roman rulers that obviously put into place the civilization we lacked before -- aqueducts, sewage, proper writing and languages -- evident in places like Londinium -- so my question was, did they not really breed to much with our people? Or is that perhaps based more on the fact that Roman armies were massively conscripted (specially around JC's time) from the provinces and lands they took? Just a question
Annuvyn Arawn
I'm half Danish does that count ? NO ? Half Russian ? No ! Half English. It all comes down to bacon. And Vodka. I live in Wales so does that make me half Welsh ? How long for, you ask but I just can't remember, that's the fault of my half Russian self. What a puzzle life is. half life. we all decay at the same rate.
Peter Todd
@Leofricson 5% variation in only 5k years?! Sounds like more than enough to encompass the full diversity of humanity many times over. From a bit of googling, the full range of genetic variation in human DNA is apparently around 0.5%, with the difference between man and apes frequently quoted as being less than 2%. Now, I'm not an expert on genetics (I know some people who are) and of course openly admit to only a cursory web search, but I assert with confidence that you are of genus nincompoop.
Mercy777
Jaan Pehechaan Ho!
Peter Todd
@Leofricson It's true, I knew I was setting myself up with the name calling. I couldn't resist. Still, if I had wanted to sound knowledgeable on this subject, I wouldn't have gone to such pains to make it clear that I'm not. I admit too that my maths is not perfect. I normally make the computer do it for me (lord knows my code is not bug free either). Please; give me some maths you think will be hard for me and not for you. Still not quite clear what defines multi-culti vs indigenous britons.
Electric Crown
wtf was that!
hairinmyEYES
@Leofricson Grow a thicker skin, man. How're you being victimised by the suggestion that Britain's been multicultural for as long as... well, as long as history, to be honest. Are you familiar with Danegeld? The import of spices after the crusades, then again after the conquest of India? The Anglo-Saxon, Roman, Viking, and Norman mixtures of people who've lived in this country since time immemorial?