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The Last Living Rose Lyrics
Goddamn' Europeans!
Take me back to beautiful England
& the grey, damp filthiness of ages, and battered books,
fog rolling down behind the mountains,
& on the graveyards, and dead sea-captains.
Let me walk through the stinking alleys
to the music of drunken beatings,
past the Thames River, glistening like gold
hastily sold for nothing.
Let me watch night fall on the river,
the moon rise up and turn to silver,
the sky move,
the ocean shimmer,
the hedge shake,
the last living rose quiver.
Take me back to beautiful England
& the grey, damp filthiness of ages, and battered books,
fog rolling down behind the mountains,
& on the graveyards, and dead sea-captains.
to the music of drunken beatings,
past the Thames River, glistening like gold
hastily sold for nothing.
the moon rise up and turn to silver,
the sky move,
the ocean shimmer,
the hedge shake,
the last living rose quiver.
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The Rose in the song title is an allusion to Englishness (i.e. an English Rose, the national flower of England), which appears to be the general theme of this piece. The use of 'Europeans' avoids offence by being used ironically (England is of course in Europe) and deliberately non-specific. There is also use of irony in the context of the description of 'beautiful England' being juxtaposed with lines alluding to the grey damp climate and past glories (e.g. 'flithiness of ages','battered books', 'dead sea captains'). Lyrically, the scene moves on to London (the capital city of England), where a Hogarthian picture of drunkenness is painted ('stinking alleys','drunken beatings'). This is matched with the lines 'Past the Thames River, glistening like gold, Hastily sold for nothing', perhaps an allusion to the City of London and the banking crisis (the Bank of England holds the UK's gold reserves). The Thames River may be used in this context to imply 2 sorts of bank - a riverbank and a bank holding gold. Silver in the last verse is a play on the use of the word gold in the previous verse. The subject matter of the final verse appears to represent the simple glories of nature and suggests that they are dying out ('the last living rose'), perhaps because we hold them to be of less value (silver) than that of economic wealth (gold).
Gordon Brown (the last Prime Minister) famously sold much of the UK's gold reserves at a point when the price of gold was low. I reckon that 'like gold, hastily sold' is probably a reference to that.
Gordon Brown (the last Prime Minister) famously sold much of the UK's gold reserves at a point when the price of gold was low. I reckon that 'like gold, hastily sold' is probably a reference to that.
Yeah I like to think that's what it's about.
Yeah I like to think that's what it's about.
I really appreciate that explanation - very knowledgable, thoughtful and well-put.
I really appreciate that explanation - very knowledgable, thoughtful and well-put.
I wouldn't say that 'Goddamn Europeans' is ironic - you definitely disassociate yourself to some extent from Europe as an English person, like when you say you're going to Europe when you cross the Channel, it's more about cultural differentiation!
I wouldn't say that 'Goddamn Europeans' is ironic - you definitely disassociate yourself to some extent from Europe as an English person, like when you say you're going to Europe when you cross the Channel, it's more about cultural differentiation!
@cantabrigian The 'Europeans' often refers to mainland europe, particularly of it's time where this is set in a previous war. I think its far from offensive in the context, its still an ironic statement but not for the reason that England is in europe. Instead is the ambivalence many English people feel, a longing for home but find it often is not something so specific, given the state and culture it has often been in compared to other countries. They have a lot of bad things to say about their own country, and yet love it in a way that...
@cantabrigian The 'Europeans' often refers to mainland europe, particularly of it's time where this is set in a previous war. I think its far from offensive in the context, its still an ironic statement but not for the reason that England is in europe. Instead is the ambivalence many English people feel, a longing for home but find it often is not something so specific, given the state and culture it has often been in compared to other countries. They have a lot of bad things to say about their own country, and yet love it in a way that is not so easy to express and sometimes seems illogical. It is also possible that they are saying 'anywhere is better', they are sent to war on the mainland.
This is a great song to introduce the rest of the album - how you miss even the bad things when you don't have them anymore is a great point and I think a lot of soldiers felt that void when they were sent away.
<3 ...one small correction in the first verse ("and battered books" is missing): Goddamn' Europeans! Take me back to beautiful England, And the grey, damp filthiness of ages, and battered books, And fog rolling down behind the mountains, And on the graveyards, and dead sea-captains.
Thanks. The thing is, I posted these lyrics a few weeks ago, and took them from the official booklet, which does not include that line.
Thanks. The thing is, I posted these lyrics a few weeks ago, and took them from the official booklet, which does not include that line.
"past the Thames River, glistening like gold hastily sold for nothing."
Is this about Gordon Brown selling off our gold reserves for f all?
take me back to beautiful England. such an ironic song. i love the dreamy '60s feel.
She really conveys well the mixed feelings your can have about your homeland. Especially when seen from the perspective an an Other in a different culture. very patriotic yet very critical.
what does she mean the thames river was hastily sold for nothing?
The line about selling gold hastily for nothing is an attack on Gordon Brown who did exactly that while he was Chancellor.
The line about selling gold hastily for nothing is an attack on Gordon Brown who did exactly that while he was Chancellor.
From Wikipedia:
From Wikipedia:
Between 1999 and 2002 Brown sold 60% of the UK's gold reserves shortly before gold entered a protracted bull market, since nicknamed by dealers as Brown Bottom. The official reason for selling the gold reserves was to reduce the portfolio risk of the UK's reserves by diversifying away from gold. The UK eventually sold about 395 tons of gold over 17 auctions from July 1999 to March 2002, at an average price of about US$275 per...
Between 1999 and 2002 Brown sold 60% of the UK's gold reserves shortly before gold entered a protracted bull market, since nicknamed by dealers as Brown Bottom. The official reason for selling the gold reserves was to reduce the portfolio risk of the UK's reserves by diversifying away from gold. The UK eventually sold about 395 tons of gold over 17 auctions from July 1999 to March 2002, at an average price of about US$275 per ounce, raising approximately US$3.5 billion. By 2011, that quantity of gold would be worth over $19 billion, leading to Brown's decision to sell the gold being widely criticised.
@yurig She said it was glistening like gold hastily sold for nothing. The Thames wasn't sold. The gold sold for nothing is a simile for the way the river was glistening,
@yurig She said it was glistening like gold hastily sold for nothing. The Thames wasn't sold. The gold sold for nothing is a simile for the way the river was glistening,
@yurig London was the hub and nerve centre of the British Empire. We plundered the the riches flowed back to London like a golden river.
@yurig London was the hub and nerve centre of the British Empire. We plundered the the riches flowed back to London like a golden river.
As some others have said this is also a rebuttal to Gordon Brown's sale of some of Britain's gold reserve. He was criticised for selling too much, too soon and therefore deflating the price.
As some others have said this is also a rebuttal to Gordon Brown's sale of some of Britain's gold reserve. He was criticised for selling too much, too soon and therefore deflating the price.
However, I would also take that line to refer to the privatisation (sale) of many national industries that started under Thatcher's era - she sold the majority - and continued through to the present time. Similarly, Thatcher has been criticised...
However, I would also take that line to refer to the privatisation (sale) of many national industries that started under Thatcher's era - she sold the majority - and continued through to the present time. Similarly, Thatcher has been criticised for selling off the public institutions that the British relied on for little or no again for the majority.
Another neat observation of our national decline.
what does she mean the thames river was hastily sold for nothing?
and does anyone know what "the last living rose" is in reference to?
@yurig I'd say it's a reference to the roses of the Houses of York and Lancaster that vied for the throne of England. Ultimately the House of Tudor prevailed, the last monarch of that dynasty being Elizabeth I. Elizabeth I's reign is considered to be a golden age of England that saw the birth of the British Empire. It also links to our present time through the current monarch Elizabeth II whom has reigned over the subsequent decline of the empire.
@yurig I'd say it's a reference to the roses of the Houses of York and Lancaster that vied for the throne of England. Ultimately the House of Tudor prevailed, the last monarch of that dynasty being Elizabeth I. Elizabeth I's reign is considered to be a golden age of England that saw the birth of the British Empire. It also links to our present time through the current monarch Elizabeth II whom has reigned over the subsequent decline of the empire.
In the title alone we're being asked to consider the rise and fall of the British Empire and the...
In the title alone we're being asked to consider the rise and fall of the British Empire and the influence of the monarchy over our history and culture.
I think it's about how you can be incredibly fond of England even whyen you're supposed to be European citizens of the world. Screw Brussels, take me back to beautiful England!
Hello dear PJ H Fans,
Hello dear PJ H Fans,
Ihave difficulties to catch irony behind "god damm europeans, my english language understanding don't allow me to feel that other a clear denunciation. As these times with our political situation we must avoid europe dissolution... Moreover I work a lot with british peoples with the help of european fund... Should we destroying a tool we need ? I can't imagine that PJ Harvey is conservative ? could you unveil this words dilemna much clearer ?
Ihave difficulties to catch irony behind "god damm europeans, my english language understanding don't allow me to feel that other a clear denunciation. As these times with our political situation we must avoid europe dissolution... Moreover I work a lot with british peoples with the help of european fund... Should we destroying a tool we need ? I can't imagine that PJ Harvey is conservative ? could you unveil this words dilemna much clearer ?