Request Line: Songs from a Small Island

INT. DFO PRODUCTION OFFICE – DAY

A pair of sleazy Hollywood producers are lounging around in an office, reading over a marketing report.

DARKEST TIMELINE ZACK MORRIS: …and so what’s this bit about banana cake?

RIKKI-TIKKI-DEADLY: Oh, that’s kind of a buzzword right now among fútbol fans.

DTZM: Football doesn’t start for another two months.

RTD: No, fut-bol.  Like “boot”.

DTZM: Oh, you mean like Canadian football.

RTD: No, soccer.  But speaking of Canadia, they just had a big holiday yesterday and all their churches are catching on fire, maybe it would be a nice gesture to dedicate this week’s Request Line to them.

DTZM: A three hour playlist of nothing but Rush and Bryan Adams?  No thank you.  But you know, there’s another country that’s got a big weekend coming up, you might remember them from a little something called “The Revolutionary War”…

RTD: Of, of course!  I even have the perfect host in mind, we were going to call him about starring in that period piece set in the rural Midwest.

DTZM: The My Antonia adaptation?

RTD: Stop calling it that, we don’t have the rights.  You wanna get sued?

RIKKI-TIKKI-DEADLY pulls out his cellphone, then punches numbers into the speakerphone.

— [speakerphone flies open] —

JASON STATHAM: OY! WOT’S ALL THIS, THEN?

RTD: Jason, baby, it’s Rikki-Tikki-Deadly, with DFO Productions.  What’s my favorite action movie star up to?

JASON STATHAM: I’M WATCHIN’ THE FOOTY, INNIT?

RTD: [aside, to DTZM] The Euro soccer tournament is happening right now. [to STATHAM] IT’S COMIN’ HOME, INNIT?

JASON STATHAM: IT’S COMIN’ HOME!

RTD: [shouting] IT’S COMIN’ HOME!

JASON STATHAM: IT’S COMIN’ HOME, INNIT? WHAT DO YOU [REDACTEDS] WANT?

RTD: Jason, it’s a big weekend for England, what with Wimbledon and England’s big game against Ukraine tomorrow.  We thought we’d dedicate this week’s edition of Request Line to England and were hoping you could get things started.

JASON STATHAM: OY! RIGHT! I GOT A SONG FOR YA, INNIT? [to the tune of “doo dah”] ♫ POSH SPICE TAKES IT UP THE…♫

DTZM: [interrupting] Actually, we were looking for songs that specifically about the country of England.

JASON STATHAM: LIKE, THE QUEEN AND ALL THAT?

DTZM: Quite, quite.

JASON STATHAM: “Quite”? HE SOUNDS LIKE ONE OF THEM POSH FUCKERS, INNIT?

RTD: OY! RIGHT!

JASON STATHAM: OW’S ABOUT SOME OLD BILLY BRAGG?

RTD: OY! CRACKING! SIRI, YOU RIGHT [REDACTED], PLAY “A NEW ENGLAND” BY BILLY BRAGG

Today’s theme is “England”.  We’re looking for songs specifically about the country of England and its people (including its leadership).  Have at it!

 

 

 

 

5 2 votes
Article Rating
Rikki-Tikki-Deadly
Law-abiding Raiders fan, pet owner, Los Angeles resident.
Subscribe
Notify of
138 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Viva La Tabula Raza

What is more British than getting shitfaced at the pub?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H5uWRjFsGc

scotchnaut

“So disappointed when I found out that The Phoenix and Chumbawamba had the exact same power.”

/borrowed

SonOfSpam

Dude,

Viva La Tabula Raza

I almost posted the nursery rhyme London Bridge is Falling Down song sung by a bunch of children.

Last edited 3 years ago by Viva La Tabula Raza
Doktor Zymm

Gotta include the drinking song I learned from a stag party in Blackpool and which is also apparently popular with England team fans
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_1M730cYkic

scotchnaut

I’ve no idea why I keep going back to Marc Bolan’s tunes-guess it’s because he’s so fucking weird

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0Wb8QROEvE&ab_channel=1stMistyMist1

Doktor Zymm

Can’t leave out Madchester
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0RJwW77Lsj8

Viva La Tabula Raza
scotchnaut

Here’s my “No Shit, Sherlock” contribution.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo6aKnRnBxM&ab_channel=GerryRafferty

Dunstan

I miss Jalen!

Viva La Tabula Raza

From a movie that is so English you have to put on the subtitles to understand what the fuck is being said.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7r2wfzJ4ZU

Dunstan
Doktor Zymm

Not an English band or about England, but the Northern Soul movement in the Midlands propelled this 1964 release to number one on the UK charts in 1971
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLubTUsfZD8

Viva La Tabula Raza

Theme from a movie about Britain’s joining the EU and not being happy about it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbeXL6AXmi0

Viva La Tabula Raza
Last edited 3 years ago by Viva La Tabula Raza
Dunstan
SonOfSpam
scotchnaut

Fox News has been undermining institutions for longer than you think-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzQig2VIhXw&ab_channel=PatrickAraujoTheMovieProductions

Last edited 3 years ago by scotchnaut
Dunstan
Dunstan
Viva La Tabula Raza

England and Richard Burton, Justin Hayward, David Essex, & Phil Lynott Versus the Martians.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Poii8JAbtng

Last edited 3 years ago by Viva La Tabula Raza
Gumbygirl

Sigh

facebook_1617803938738_6785561531466080717_424645146868895(1).jpg
BeefReeferLives
Last edited 3 years ago by BeefReeferLives
scotchnaut

I figure that any tune by UB40 qualifies-I choose ‘Rat In Mi Kitchen’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c42z3LAGyTM&ab_channel=MartijnEngel

SonOfSpam

A somber dirge about one of England’s most obscure rules

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6EJxYNQxvw&ab_channel=Herman%27sHermits-Topic

BeefReeferLives
BeefReeferLives
SonOfSpam

Here’s a couple songs about England’s first Prime Womanister

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFaFVhyjb5Y&ab_channel=TheBeat

SonOfSpam
scotchnaut

Holy Shitballs, people-this should have been the first horse out of the gate!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfK-WX2pa8c&ab_channel=theclashVEVO

Horatio Cornblower

I was just about to Blair Witch this one.

scotchnaut

He sticks his flag where it don’t belong-here’s ‘Old England Is Dying’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4CPezSV198&ab_channel=NewOrderUp

Senor Weaselo

It’s about finding Jerusalem in England, I say it counts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9TbiIEpZJ8

Last edited 3 years ago by Senor Weaselo
Viva La Tabula Raza

During his heyday, 40-odd years ago, this guy was one of my favorite Canadian guitarists. Then he moved to Florida and snorted ALL the cocaine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRNHiWJDUTk

Last edited 3 years ago by Viva La Tabula Raza
Viva La Tabula Raza

Entire albums that qualify:
Kinks – Village Green Preservation Society
Kinks – Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)
Pink Floyd – The Final Cut
I bet there are more, but my wine- and edible-addled brain ain’t up for it right now.

BeefReeferLives
BeefReeferLives
Viva La Tabula Raza

Nice follow-through.

BeefReeferLives
Viva La Tabula Raza

I wonder if this will be the shortest song posted here today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh1hKt5kQ_4

BeefReeferLives
BeefReeferLives
Viva La Tabula Raza

Or Barada, for that matter.

BeefReeferLives
BeefReeferLives
BeefReeferLives

ain’t THAT the truth…

BeefReeferLives

Quite a few from the Kinks, of course… Here’s a more obscure one. Pitch in to make it a multi-shot, folks… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwV5gONK7c8

Viva La Tabula Raza

This will indeed be a deep vein.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsLhNxzwK1Y

BeefReeferLives

Yup! Seemed selfish to grab em all myself… Plenty to go around

BeefReeferLives
BeefReeferLives
Last edited 3 years ago by BeefReeferLives