I wrote here about ‘the death of society’ relating to the killing of an eleven year old boy in Liverpool at the time (2007). The posting was made on my old Vox blog and the audio of Gerry Rafferty’s Garden of England, used to illustrate the posting no longer works.
Today whilst reding Andrew M Brown’s very frank obituary (which members of the Rafferty clan have endorsed as a pretty accurate piece via message boards today) I was reminded of that very track. Listen to the end to hear the words of then home secretary William Whitelaw.
It is safe to say that Rafferty doesn’t appear to have been a fan but he allows the words to ring out free of any editorial or production control.
Filed under: Gerry Rafferty Tagged: | big society, short sharp shock, snakes and ladders, the Garden of England, william whitelaw
Yea, Rab.
I nearly went with this one myself but there were so many to choose from.
“It is safe to say that Rafferty doesn’t appear to have been a fan but he allows the words to ring out free of any editorial or production control.”
It’s the juxtaposition of Whitelaw’s words with the sentiment of the song that underline the point.
Indeed Jack.
Brilliant.
It’s a song about dichotomy and veneer really.