Perhaps The Welsh Should Be Less Nice Part Two: Billy Bragg And Jerusalem

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

When I was living in Thurrock Essex in the late nineties and my now wife was living in Cardiff whilst courting we had a long distance relationship. When she came down by train the last part of the journey was when I drove her to my home along the A13. This road was, at the time, for sheer misery of traffic the worst I knew.

Years later, now married and living in Wales. We discovered by accident that Billy Bragg had took the tune of Route 66 and adapted it to apply to the A13. It became instantly one of our favourite records as it took us back.

So it was a disappointment to hear on Twitter that in the Green Man Festival....in Wales....Billy Bragg chose to sing William Blake's Jerusalem.

Now it's important to begin by saying that I wasn't at the Green Man Festival and I'm not going to pretend I was. What has bothered me though is that at least on Twitter he seemed surprised by the reaction to it in Wales.

In Wales William Blake's Jerusalem is seen as an anthem to English arrogance. It doesn't matter whether that's fair or not, that is how it's perceived. Context is everything. For him to sing such a tune in Wales illustrates in another example that perhaps the Welsh should be less nice and like the Irish or the Scots assert themselves more. For whether consciously or not he didn't consider this context of singing an English anthem in a music festival in Wales to be of any issue.

In response to the criticism he received he queried whether it would have been appropriate to sing "A New England" in Wales. It misses the point of the criticism. What he should do when he next performs in England is to sing "Les Marseillaies" or "Deutschland Uber Alles". Perhaps then he would understand how context is everything.

He also queries rhetorically whether Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau should be sung in Twickenham. The answer is of course yes. In the same way that Jerusalem should be sung in the Millenium Stadium. Because in sporting events fans sing the songs of their team.

Now that I've thought about it properly Billy Bragg should when he next performs in England sing Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau and await the reaction to that. I suspect that it won't be favourable. And why should it? Context is everything.

Ignorance of your audience is not a crime. But in Billy Bragg it's disappointing. It is perhaps a foretaste of any Jeremy Corbyn government. Hope then realisation that in reality for the Welsh and those who live here not to be treated as "and Wales" in any context just simply requires full independence.

Whether William Blake's lyrics are "progressive" as he claims is of no relevance under these circumstances. Not only is it perceived as an anthem to English arrogance but even if the lyrics are as he states then it would appear given the imagery that always surrounds it of the English flags and rolling hills that it's been taken over by the English right wing as well. If he wants to take it back to make it relevant for everyone all well and good.....it just should be done in England.

Until the next time.