1888
Men of England
| Tune: | Now the Rosy Morn Appearing |
| Lyrics: | Percy Bysshe Shelley (ed. Edward Carpenter) |
Men of England, wherefore plow
For the lords who lay ye low?
Wherefore weave with toil and care
The rich robes your tyrants wear?
Wherefore feed and clothe and save,
From the cradle to the grave,
Those ungrateful drone who would
Drain your sweat, nay, drink your blood?
Men of England, wherefore low
For the lords who lay ye low?
Wherefore weave with toil and care
The rich robes your tyrants wear?
Wherefore, Bees of England, forge
Many a weapon, chain, and scourge,
That these stingless drones may spoil
The forced produce of your toil?
Have ye leisure, comfort, calm,
Shelter, food, love’s gentle balm?
Or what is’t ye buy so dear
With your pain and with your fear?
Men of England, &c.
The seed ye sow another reaps
The wealth ye find another keeps
The robes ye weave another wears
The arms ye forge another bears.
Sow seed—but let no tyrant reap;
Find wealth—let no impostor heap;
Weave robes—let not the idle wear;
Forge arms, in your defence to bear.
Men of England, &c.
Written after the Peterloo massacre of 1819, Percy Bysshe Shelley’s ‘Men of England’ was not given musical life until this setting of 1888 in socialist songbooks. Refashioned from six short verses to three long ones with a chorus, the lyrics remained pertinent generations on, combining poetic merit with simplicity and accessibility. In its new form, the first two verses pose provocative questions (‘wherefore plow / For the lords who lay ye low?’) that the third answers in no uncertain terms.
| Cause: | Socialist | Collectivist |
| Theme: | Political Process | Impact of Change | Rights |
| Addressed to: | Men | English |
| Target of Protest: | Bosses | Aristocracy |
| Proposal/Solution: | Organisation | Armed Rebellion |