The Sick Man of Europe Sings For His Supper
Label: Decca
Year of Release: 1974
That the mid-seventies were a bleak time for Britain in general is a well-known fact, but as a nation we were oddly keen to also launch into song about it. From Richard Stilgoe's "Suffering From Inflation" to the Eurovison Song Content entry "Rock Bottom" and Alan Price's "Jarrow Song", there were some reasonably high profile lamentations about pay limitations, the three-day week and power shortages way before people were making documentaries about punk rock showing rubbish bags piling up in the streets (because you have to show them, don't you? Nothing says "The Sex Pistols" like the suggestion of a stench of rotting cod followed by that bloody Bill Grundy clip again).
The concept of "Rule Britannia" here is more of the same - a stomping pub singalong not dissimilar to The Strawbs' "Part of the Union", only focused on how Britain could possibly get back on her horse again to lead the world. "Rule Britannia!" Grumpy sing, "we've all seen better days... we did it before and we'll do it again". The backing is stark and austere, full of thumping piano lines and strident pub-styled vocals, sounding as if the entire thing had been recorded in a Trumans pub after hours. Well, you've got to start the recovery somewhere, I suppose.
There are few things more depressing than hearing this 1974 recording and realising that as a nation, we seem to have been locked into an endless spin cycle of slumps and booms ever since, including self-inflicted wounds and general asshattery. As a result, the song sounds truly sarcastic, and as Bono once sang "How long must we sing this song?" Only that was about something else, obviously.
