Commons Brawl Lyrics
will kindly try to restrain themselves in derring-do
As verbal hard graffiti flies and echoes wall to wall
Our precious model of democracy,
it's the House of Commons brawl
as spittle frothed on folded chin to damn the lie.
Let's serve this brief amid the rush of boos and loud catcalls
Let's finish this right here and now
at the House of Commons brawl
as with jackets off they charged heaven-bent.
Scratch, gouge went the other side
as the party firmly did divide.
it follows perhaps that we should by their example do,
but there again I think for less poor Guy went to the wall.
The wrong house but the right idea
to end the Commons brawl.
The "Commons" is the House of Commons, one of two houses of the British parliament, and the song is about the behavior of British MPs ("the honourable gentlemen", as they would be referred to by the Speaker of the Commons).
The lady referred to ("and lady too") is presumably Margaret Thatcher, prime minister at the time.
The lines "for Guy went to the wall / The wrong House but the right idea" refer to Guy Fawkes, a principal figure in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, who was arrested while attempting to blow up the House of Lords ("the wrong House"), and subsequently executed.
"list the rush of who's allowed catcalls" should be "amidst the rush of boos and loud catcalls"
"for gyving to the wall" should be "for Guy went to the wall"
Other lyrics given also appear to be incorrect, but the actual words are difficult to make out.
Robin Williams once referred to the House of Commons as "Congress with a two-drink minimum." The lyrics of this song would indicate that Anderson agrees.