A Song A Day #4 - A Very English Civil War

With a starched stiff upper lip
a cold unseeing eye
everything is in its place
the spider devours the fly





A VERY ENGLISH CIVIL WAR
ROSES ON THE CHINA PLATES
DOILIES ON THE LINEN
A COSY ON THE TEA POT
HALLMARKS ON THE SILVER
NOW THE TOADS ARE IN THEIR HOLES
THE HARES ARE IN THE JUG
WITH FOUR AND TWENTY BLACKBIRDS
ALL BAKED WITHIN THE PIE
A VERY ENGLISH CIVIL WAR
IN A CULTURED SMILING WAY
I SAY WOULD YOU MIND SO TERRIBLY
IF I TOOK THE SHIRT FROM OFF YOUR BACK

I HOPE YOU’LL COME TO UNDERSTAND
THAT IT REALLY HAD TO BE DONE
FOR THE GOOD OF THE BRITISH POUND
AND TO PRESERVE OUR WAY OF LIFE
WICKER CHAIRS OUT ON THE LAWN
A GAME OF CROQUET SHARED
SANDWICHES WITHOUT THEIR CRUSTS
A GLASS OF LEMONADE
WITH A STARCHED STIFF UPPER LIP
A COLD UNSEEING EYE
EVERYTHING IS IN ITS PLACE
THE SPIDER DEVOURS THE FLY
A VERY ENGLISH CIVIL WAR
OH WE MIND OUR P’S AND Q’S
WE TAKE NO PLEASURE JUST YOUR LANDS
AN IMPOSITION WE REGRET

WITH GOD UP IN THE PULPIT
OUR BAYONETS IN YOUR GUT
WE WEAR THE BUTCHERS APRON
STEAL JEWELS FOR OUR CROWN
WE HOPE YOU’LL COME TO REALISE
THAT WE ARE THE CHOSEN RACE
WE REALLY MUST APOLOGISE
BUT ONE HAS TO KNOW ONE’S PLACE