The history and politics of the English protest song

1886

England, Arise!

Tune: Original
Lyrics: Edward Carpenter
Composer: Edward Carpenter

England, arise! the long, long night is over,
Faint in the east behold the dawn appear;
Out of your evil dream of toil and sorrow
Arise, O England, for the day is here;
From your fields and hills,
Hark! the answer swells—
Arise, O England, for the day is here.

By your young children’s eyes so red with weeping,
By their white faces aged with want and fear;
By the dark cities where your babes are creeping,
Naked of joy and all that makes life dear;
From each wretched slum
Let the loud cry come—
Arise, O England, for the day is here.

People of England! all your valleys call you,
High in the rising sun the lark sings clear.
Will you dream on, let shameful slumber thrall you?
Will you disown your native land so dear?
Shall it die unheard—
That sweet pleading word?
Arise, O England, for the day is here.

Forth, then, ye heroes, patriots, and lovers,
Comrades of danger, poverty, and scorn!
Mighty in faith of Freedom, your great Mother,
Giants refreshed in Joy’s new-rising morn!
Come and swell the song,
Silent now so long—
England is risen!—and the day is here.

Lyrics

Vegetarian, gay, and hailing from Sheffield, Edward Carpenter was an inspirational socialist whose songbook collection Chants of Labour went through numerous editions. Unusually, he wrote both words and four-part melody to this, his best-known song. Its words are bellicose and bold, each verse featuring a rhetorical question in the minor-key second section before an emphatic closing response, while the tune’s surprisingly sentimental opening phrase provides an indelible hook.

Cause: Socialist | Collectivist
Theme: Political Process | Rights
Addressed to: English | The People
Target of Protest: Industry
Proposal/Solution: Organisation | Social Harmony