# Help! Give me the QUINTISENTIAL British song! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 29, 2003, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-give-me-the-quintisential-british-song/172015 "2003-04-29T22:11:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-give-me-the-quintisential-british-song/172015/21 "2003-04-29T23:55:54Z")
XTC’s “Towers of London” ---
**Author:** ![Scruff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Scruff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruff)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-give-me-the-quintisential-british-song/172015/22 "2003-04-30T00:10:53Z")
There’s always _Yakity-Sax_ by Boots Randolph., also known as the [Benny Hill Show Theme](http://www.whirligig2.freeserve.co.uk/tv/bennyhill.wav). Nothing says “England” like that! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-give-me-the-quintisential-british-song/172015/23 "2003-04-30T00:32:34Z")
London Calling! For me, personally, it’s ‘Waterloo Sunset’ by the Kinks… cheers ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-give-me-the-quintisential-british-song/172015/24 "2003-04-30T00:35:14Z")
**He is an Englishman** from _H.M.S. Pinafore_ by Gilbert & Sullivan ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-give-me-the-quintisential-british-song/172015/25 "2003-04-30T00:36:58Z")
PS I have known people who think ‘The Monty Python Theme Song’ is Britain personified, but that is, of course, John Philip Sousa’s Liberty Bell…(try lecturing to a bored class on Athenian naval policy whilst the school band, in the building across the way, is practicing ‘Liberty Bell’ over and over and over again…) cheers! ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-give-me-the-quintisential-british-song/172015/26 "2003-04-30T00:59:40Z")
‘Parklife’ – Excellent London\_Calling – can’t sing 😉 Waterloo Sunset – also a good choice One more from me; ‘Mad Dogs and Englishmen’ by Noel Coward. ---
**Author:** ![Salieri2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Salieri2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Salieri2)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-give-me-the-quintisential-british-song/172015/27 "2003-04-30T02:20:30Z")
_Teddy Bears’ Picnic_? ---
**Author:** ![Skillet38](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Skillet38](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skillet38)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-give-me-the-quintisential-british-song/172015/28 "2003-04-30T02:29:07Z")
“I can see for miles” The Who ? ---
**Author:** ![li\_l\_Dickie\_Dirtz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/2bfe46/32.png) [@li\_l\_Dickie\_Dirtz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/li_l_Dickie_Dirtz)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-give-me-the-quintisential-british-song/172015/29 "2003-04-30T02:35:52Z")
**JuanitaTech** , try [Easy CD](http://www.poikosoft.com/easycdda.html). It’s freeware as well. Also, if you just need a snippet, can’t you go to Amazon or Buy.com and look up _Rule Britannia_ and save the free bit of song they allow you to listen to? Or at least put the link in PowerPoint so it will play when you need it to? I’ve never tried it, but . . . ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-give-me-the-quintisential-british-song/172015/30 "2003-04-30T02:38:42Z")
Can some explain to me what the whole deal with _Jerusalem_ is? It probably doesn’t help that my entire experience with that song is Monty Python and a short bit on DS9. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-give-me-the-quintisential-british-song/172015/31 "2003-04-30T02:58:04Z")
cups and cakes by spinal tarp ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-give-me-the-quintisential-british-song/172015/32 "2003-04-30T03:16:17Z")
“Alright” by Supergrass. Kinda like a little brother to Blur’s “Parklife.” ---
**Author:** ![Skillet38](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Skillet38](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skillet38)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-give-me-the-quintisential-british-song/172015/33 "2003-04-30T03:25:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by asterion \* > \*\*Can some explain to me what the whole deal with _Jerusalem_ is? It probably doesn’t help that my entire experience with that song is Monty Python and a short bit on DS9. \*\* er, well, uh, Emerson Lake and Palmer did a version. hope that clears things up ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-give-me-the-quintisential-british-song/172015/34 "2003-04-30T03:39:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Skillet38 \* > \*\*er, well, uh, Emerson Lake and Palmer did a version. > hope that clears things up \*\* If anything, I am now even more confused as I have no idea who Emerson Lake and Palmer are. ---
**Author:** ![Skillet38](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Skillet38](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skillet38)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-give-me-the-quintisential-british-song/172015/35 "2003-04-30T03:52:31Z")
Asterion, is this what you had in mind ? Jerusalem (aka And Did Those Feet In Ancient Times) Words by William Blake (1757-1827) And did those feet in ancient time Walk upon England’s mountain green? And was the holy Lamb of God On England’s pleasant pastures seen? And did the countenance divine Shine forth upon our clouded hills? And was Jerusalem builded here Among those dark satanic mills? nothing to do with dog kennels or bed mattresses, as you can clearly see. ELP rocked ! about half the time anyways \ ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-give-me-the-quintisential-british-song/172015/36 "2003-04-30T04:39:05Z")
Ray Davies also has ‘London Song’ although obviously that’s only about London… Before the pod people stole his brain, Paul McCartney has ‘Helen Wheels’… cheers! ---
**Author:** ![gorillacus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dfb087/32.png) [@gorillacus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gorillacus)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-give-me-the-quintisential-british-song/172015/37 "2003-04-30T05:55:13Z")
The Dr. Who Theme! I trust that was useful. Seriously tho’ go with G&S, **He is an Englishman** as suggested by **ArchiveGuy** ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-give-me-the-quintisential-british-song/172015/38 "2003-04-30T06:05:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by asterion \* > \*\*Can some explain to me what the whole deal with _Jerusalem_ is? It probably doesn’t help that my entire experience with that song is Monty Python and a short bit on DS9. \*\* Not sure about the “whole deal”, but anyway… AFAIK… William Blake – he of “Tyger Tyger…” fame etc, wrote a short poem _Jerusalem_, which was set to music by one Charles Parry. The poem appears to refer to folklore that has Christ visiting England during his life (possibly with Joseph of Arimathea – who in some tales is said to had returned to England bearing the Holy Grail after Christ’s death)… hence the lyrics that **Skillet38** posted. The second verse goes: Bring me my bow of burning gold! Bring me my arrows of desire! Bring me my spear! O clouds, unfold! Bring me my chariot of fire! I will not cease from mental fight, Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand, Till we have built Jerusalem In England’s green and pleasant land. (Websites I checked claim it’s out of copyright). It became a popular anthem in England and one recent poll I saw had 51% of britons wanting it as the National Anthem, considerably ahead of other options. ---
**Author:** ![Barks\_dog\_food](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c68b51/32.png) [@Barks\_dog\_food](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barks_dog_food)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-give-me-the-quintisential-british-song/172015/39 "2003-04-30T06:43:32Z")
I would use Lichtenstein’s national anthem. Or Abide With Me. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-give-me-the-quintisential-british-song/172015/40 "2003-04-30T07:20:28Z")
Info on [ELP](http://www.brain-salad.com/). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-give-me-the-quintisential-british-song/172015.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-give-me-the-quintisential-british-song/172015.md?page=3)