Sing a Song of Politics
I was testing my memory, trying to remember things that I learned way back when I was a small kid, and I realised that my most intense memories are of or related to poems and songs.
I seem to remember it was Ogden Nash who wrote this little ditty during the early years of the cold war:
Let me hide myself in thee.
When the bombers thunder past,
Shelter me from fire and blast.
And, though they say all men are brothers
Let the fallout fall on others.
How many songs can you remember from your childhood?
How many political speeches can you remember from last year?
Many nursery rhymes are based in political thoughts. Rhymes were memes before the rise of widespread literacy. We remember them even if, perhaps centuries after, we don't remember the underlying narrative.
"To unpick the meanings behind the rhymes is to be thrust into a world not of sweet princesses and cute animals but of messy clerical politics, religious violence, sex, illness, murder, spies, traitors and the supernatural."
BBC
Given the way that our memories work, wouldn't it be a great idea to require politicians to sing for their supper? Suppose this was the case back in the day, atmospheric testing of nuclear bombs might have been banned sooner.
This next song could have been a campaign song for the rights of minorities and single mums.
Do we have a winner? A campaign song for global unity.
Can you suggest a campaign song?
Comments welcome, here or on twitter. @PatrickLogicman
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