After learning to play the guitar, the fiddle, and the piano, as well as to sing, Rusby played at many local folk festivals as a child and adolescent. She came to wider attention through her duets with her friend and fellow Barnsley folk singer Kathryn Roberts on the 1995 album Kate Rusby & Kathryn Roberts.
At about this time she joined, and became the lead vocalist of, the all-female Celtic folk band The Poozies. This led to her becoming a founding member of the group Equation, which included Kathryn Roberts and Seth Lakeman. Rusby left Equation (being replaced by Cara Dillon) to follow a more traditional direction and, in 1997, released her debut solo album Hourglass produced by Scottish fiddler John McCusker (to whom Rusby was married for some time).
In 1999 Rusby recorded Sleepless which earned her a Mercury Music Prize nomination and the BBC Folk Award for Best Album and Best Folk Singer.
Rusby continues to release albums mixing traditional and self-penned songs on her own Pure Records, winning fans as diverse as Graham Coxon (who provided the illustration for her album The Girl Who Couldn't Fly) and collaborator Ronan Keating.
2008 saw the release of Sweet Bells, an album of traditional Christmas songs interpreted by Rusby.
In 2010, Rusby released the album Make the Light, a collection of self-penned songs, and in 2011 issued a second collection of Christmas songs titled While Mortals Sleep.
www.katerusby.com
Village Green Preservation Society
Kate Rusby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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 © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: RAYMOND DOUGLAS DAVIES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Eriks Rose
It is a brilliant song. I do love this version, the most beautiful voice in England Kindest Regards ER
andrew kness
I second that emotion. z
RichardNixonVEVO
It's crazy how some people just seem to get music and can come up with such amazing and downright genius arrangements of songs like this. Not just anyone can cover a RAY DAVIES masterpiece and have it sound just as good as the original!
Alby 52
i dont care who likes or dislikes this i think its great song
Christian Vancara
It a Lovely Song😘
Geoff Cook
What a lovely version of this brilliant Ray Davies song book, BRILLIANT
Arreina
This song is so truly amazing!!! I love Rusby! She's very articulate in her lyrics and I love the fact she writes them all and about deeply personal matters that you may not understand at first but the words pull you in.
Ian Haddock
Don't you get the sadness of this wonderful lyric, sung brilliantly by a wonderful singer.
Orochi Yagami
That’s the rub. There’s nothing sad about this song. It’s a celebration turned into a funeral dirge by this awful rendition.
Dafydd Manton
Many, many thanks to John Smith (presumably an alias) for some of the funniest, most unbalanced joyless racist waffle I have ever encountered. The man is an absolute genius to find something offensive in a song that is a bit of light-hearted fun. Thank you so much for brightening up my day, although I strongly suspect that your own world is somewhat dark, being that far up your own jet-pipe. You are, Sir, a comic genius in the old English ethos. Congratulations, and long may you write such great comedy. Britain is proud of you.