History Song

Unbelievable, I'm the first. What's up with you people? Such a wonderful song. Comment! It has a lot of melancholy in it (damn, they even mention it!), just like the whole album, but there is some ray of hope evident from the very first lines ("come the day/you see the sun"). Looking back at the title one could think it asks to accept all the hardships as natural - it's been like that throughout the history of mankind, various wars (storm may be a metaphor for war), and they will always be from time to time. We must be those "hangers-on", strong and doing whatever we can to survive, waiting for it to end, because everything ends, one day.

Back when people were sentenced to hang for their crimes, at times people would wait behind the gallows until the trap doors were dropped, at which point they would grab the legs of those being hung and pulled down on them, to ensure a quicker and less excrutiating death. These were the "hangers-on" I'm afraid. This song is a surreal description of an execution in the Great Britain of yore. Though your interpretation is admirable, screamas.

^Oh and I didn't mean to sound pompous with that statement at the end of the post, I meant to add that my description of the meaning came from Damon Albarn himself in an interview-type thing.

I also agree with screamas's interpretation. I think just because the author gave one meaning doesn't mean a song can't have other, more subtle meaning to it.

"If you don't know it now, then you will do..." may be one of the best refrains of the year.

Kind of sad most people overlook this band, as it features excellent musicians...Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz), Simonon (The Clash), Tong (The Verve), and Tony Allen, who may very well be one of the best drummers of the era. Honestly, this album just might be the best album so far this year.