1916
Jerusalem
| Tune: | Original |
| Lyrics: | William Blake |
| Composer: | Hubert Parry |
And did those feet in ancient time,
Walk upon Englands mountains green:
And was the holy Lamb of God,
On Englands pleasant pastures seen!
And did the Countenance Divine,
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here,
Among [these/those] dark Satanic Mills?
Bring me my Bow of burning gold:
Bring me my Arrows of desire:
Bring me my Spear: O clouds unfold:
Bring me my Chariot of fire!
I will not cease from Mental Fight,
Nor shall my Sword sleep in my hand:
Till we have built Jerusalem,
In Englands green & pleasant Land.
Blake’s 1804/8 poem celebrates religious, pastoral liberty, criticising industrialisation. In 1916, Poet Laureate Robert Bridges invited Parry to set it to music for the patriotic Fight for Right movement. Parry later gave the song to the suffragettes and after 1918 it became a Women Voters’ hymn. While its radical history is now little-known, its mythical words and rousing music still express desire for, belief in, and commitment to an England redeemed from itself.
| Cause: | Equal Rights | Nationalist | Religious Radical |
| Theme: | Impact of Change | Rights | Environment |
| Addressed to: | Britons | English |
| Target of Protest: | Industry |
| Proposal/Solution: | Emancipation |