Young Conservatives Lyrics
The revolution's over.
Now the anger's disappeared
And the rebels are much older.
And the schools and universities
Are turning out a brand new breed of young conservatives.
Keep your collars white and clean,
It's time to come and join the young conservatives.
But now it's out of fashion.
Politeness is the rule,
And not an angry young man's passion.
And they've used up all the alternatives,
And they're rushing down the street to join
the young conservatives.
Conservatives.
In your parents' car.
Another chip off the block, is that all that you are?
Look at all the young conservatives
Hanging out in the bars.
It's got to stop before it goes to fa-fa-fa-fa-far.
Set your sights a little higher,
You're going to join the young conservatives.
Now the battle's nearly won.
The rebels are conforming,
See the father, now the sons.
All the urgency and energy
Have turned into complacency,
Now the schools and universities are turning out a
brand new breed of young conservatives.
Conservatives.
Now it's Hampstead not East End
And now he's such a well respected man.
The only action that you see
Is in the Sunday Times.
Content to sit in bed and read between the lines.
Be a devil join the new conservatives.
Now they've beaten everyone.
The rebels are too old now,
And the young just want to be young.
All the urgency and energy
Have turned into complacency.
Now the schools and universities are turning out a
brand new breed of young conservatives.
Conservatives.
Look at all the young conservatives.
It's pretty obvious what this is about, really.
What's interesting is: what exactly does Ray Davies want us to think about the rise of youthful conservatism? The whole song has a mournful sense to it, but there are some lines which seem pretty double-edged: 'All the urgency and energy have turned into complacency' - is he singing about the younger generation or the formerly radical politicians who have aligned themselves to a 'complacent' post-war consensus?
What a perceptive song that sums up the post Thatcherist complacency of modern times. From young people to politicians, the acceptable norm was to become more right wing, more American (even the Labour Party of the nineties under Blair was just an extension of the Tory party.....Champagne Socialists).
I get the impression that Ray warns us in this song that Complacency will be the downfall of our society to a mediocre state controlled corporate free for all and that we need to keep our revolutionary fervor intact.
That sticking up for socialistic principles, protecting the underdog, fighting for/protecting rights the NHS and Welfair state, doing the right thing by the people and for the people rather than the wealthy few is worth fighting for.
Long may the young socialists confine the young conservatives to history.
@BarnabyHughes Meant to say 'Long may the young socialists confine the young conservatives to the dustbin.
@BarnabyHughes Meant to say 'Long may the young socialists confine the young conservatives to the dustbin.
This was an extremely perceptive song. I went to university in 1983 and the older students were still rebelling and having sit ins and protests about any cause they could think of. They left after my first year and everything changed the newer students were Thatchers childten and had a very different outlookintetested in getting good jobs mainly and zero interest in being anti establishment. They identified politically with the conservatives.