The Village Green Preservation Society
Kate Rusby Lyrics
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God save Donald Duck, Vaudeville and Variety
We are the Desperate Dan Appreciation Society
God save strawberry jam and all the different varieties.
Preserving the old ways from being abused,
Protecting the new ways for me and for you
What more can we do
God save Mrs. Mopp and good Old Mother Riley
We are the Custard Pie Appreciation Consortium
God save the George Cross and all those who were awarded them
We are the Sherlock Holmes English Speaking Vernacular
Help save Fu Manchu, Moriarty and Dracula
We are the Office Block Persecution Affinity
God save little shops, china cups and virginity
We are the Skyscraper condemnation Affiliate
God save tudor houses, antique shops and billiards
Preserving the old ways from being abused
Protecting the new ways for me and for you
What more can we do
We are the Village Green Preservation Society
God save Donald Duck, Vaudeville and Variety
We are the Desperate Dan Appreciation Society
God save strawberry jam and all the different varieties.
We are the Village Green Preservation Society
God save Donald Duck, Vaudeville and Variety
God save the Village Green
The song "The Village Green Preservation Society" is a nostalgic anthem that celebrates traditional British values and the preservation of old-fashioned ways of life. The lyrics read like a list of disparate cultural references, including British comic book characters like Desperate Dan, nostalgic foods like strawberry jam and custard pie, and even fictional villains like Fu Manchu and Moriarty. However, the overriding message is one of a plea to preserve tradition and save the things that make Britain unique.
The first verse references different appreciations societies, such as the Desperate Dan Appreciation Society and the Draught Beer Preservation Society, before emphasizing the need to protect both old and new ways. The second verse includes more obscure cultural references, like Sherlock Holmes and Fu Manchu, before calling for the preservation of independent businesses and historic buildings. The final chorus repeats the message of the previous verses, calling for the preservation of the Village Green and all the cultural touchstones mentioned throughout the song.
Overall, "The Village Green Preservation Society" is a nuanced and evocative commentary on British identity and the importance of protecting the traditions and cultural landmarks that make it unique.
Line by Line Meaning
We are the Village Green Preservation Society
We stand for preserving the traditional ways of our village and community.
God save Donald Duck, Vaudeville and Variety
We cherish the old entertainment traditions and media that are part of our culture.
We are the Desperate Dan Appreciation Society
We love and appreciate the old comics and characters that we grew up with.
God save strawberry jam and all the different varieties.
We value and celebrate the various local foods and flavors in our community.
Preserving the old ways from being abused,
We strive to protect the precious traditions and customs that define our village from being mistreated or neglected.
Protecting the new ways for me and for you
We also embrace change and innovation if it benefits and improves our community.
What more can we do
We ask ourselves if there's more we can do to safeguard and enrich our village.
We are the Draught Beer Preservation Society
We also care about preserving the local drinks, pubs and gatherings that are part of our community.
God save Mrs. Mopp and good Old Mother Riley
We respect and honor the old characters and icons of our neighborhood.
We are the Custard Pie Appreciation Consortium
We enjoy and celebrate the silly and fun moments in our community.
God save the George Cross and all those who were awarded them
We show reverence to the brave and noble people who fought for our country and freedom.
We are the Sherlock Holmes English Speaking Vernacular
We appreciate the classic literature and stories that originated from our culture.
Help save Fu Manchu, Moriarty and Dracula
We see the value and impact of the great stories and characters from our past and want to preserve them.
We are the Office Block Persecution Affinity
We care about the identity and diversity of our community, resisting the homogenizing forces of modernization.
God save little shops, china cups and virginity
We love the small businesses, local crafts and unique features of our village.
We are the Skyscraper condemnation Affiliate
We oppose the excessive growth and destruction of the natural and cultural environments around our village.
God save tudor houses, antique shops and billiards
We celebrate and protect the historical buildings, shops and activities that represent our heritage.
We are the Village Green Preservation Society
We emphasize our mission to preserve and appreciate our community.
God save Donald Duck, Vaudeville and Variety
We reiterate our love and respect for the traditional entertainment and media in our culture.
God save the Village Green
We conclude with a call to action to preserve the heart and soul of our village, its spiritual center.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RAYMOND DOUGLAS DAVIES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dafydd Manton
Gentlemen, I may be able to help in the rather obtuse conversation anent Kate being racist with this song. The Village Green is where the crusaders would gather before wandering off, leaving the high-rise buildings behind them as they wandered Eastwards, many of them disguised as Desperate Dan, Fu Manchu, Moriarty et al. Red was the colour of their enemy's blood, which happens to be the same colour as strawberry jam. Donald Duck is, of course, anathema to many religionists, in that he refuses to wear trousers and proudly shows off this D.A. By the same token, Antique shops can be considered racists, as many of the artefacts within were stolen from foreign lands, although equally obviously rather more weren't. Virginity has always a contention, especially in this day and age where many expect to get 72 for various actions. They may well be dressed in the Vaudeville style.
The "old ways" may well refer to the aforementioned crusades, and the "new ways" the current laxity in moral standards, such as found in billiard halls, and eventually led to the downfall of Good Old Mother Riley, a lady of a certain virtue, most notably after her fling with Mrs. Mopp Draught beer is totally unacceptable in a multi-cultural society The objection to Custard Pies is surely obvious to even the most meagre of intellect.
Sherlock Holmes, being supported by the English-speaking Vernacular cannot possibly be acceptable, if only because it translates so poorly in to Urdu, Tamil or Hindustani. Mr. Holmes also had a certain interest in drugs, which must be against whichever Holy Writings, never mind the fact that the violin which he played is an aggressively European instrument. So was Dracula.
Little shops have little role to play in modern Britain, largely because little ones only tend to sell bread, cheese, Smarties, vegetables and fags, with nary a single jar of spice to be seen, and the old geezer behind the counter, who got gassed in the War, wouldn't know what a Naan Bread was if it jumped up and bit him - not entirely impossible.
The objection to Tudor Houses must be blindingly obvious, what with the obvious and unsubtle contrast between black and white, with white being the predominant colour. It's enough to offend the sensibilities of a saint.
There must be more, but anyway, "what more can we do?"
kleedham
This was the theme song to the British dramedy Jam And Jerusalem (retitled Clatterford in America, as they figured if they called it Jam And Jerusalem the Americans would think it was about the Middle East rather than the Women's Institute). It was a great show, which I heartily urge you to try and see, if you have not already done so. In fact, hearing this again, I think I'll dig out my copy of Jam And Jerusalem and watch it again. It was written by Abigail Wilson and Jennifer Saunders (of Ab Fab). Saunders also appeared in it, as did Dawn French, and Sue Johnston (of The Royle Family) and Patrick Barlow (of Is It Legal). It was a gentle, insightful drama / comedy about life, particularly women's life, in a small English village.
Sparagmos
@ron moore Lots of good comedy actors👍
ron moore
You forgot the great Joanne Lumley. ( also David Mitchell and Sally Phillips ) . Wonderful show.
Michael Boulton
I know as i have the box-set love that show
Mr. Nemo
Good cover Hope the song continues to be passed along the generations. The Kinks were/are pure class
Iain Clark
A fantastic version of a,quirky but wonderful song!
Juan Sebastián Arroyo
Extraordinaria versión de una gran canción.
Chris B
Love this version
bernie parent
She does the song justice.
edwin rex
Apart from being a great rocker Ray Davies wrote wonderful folk music a credit to old England.