The important thing to remember with this song is that it was written for and released on a 4 track EP dedicated to the UK miner's strike in 1985. The album was designed to garner support for the striking miners among the general public, and the proceeds from the sales of the EP went to the strike fund.
So, while the song may bring to mind the depression, the 1930's, and the World Wars, the subject matter is meant to be much more timely than a song written to represent an historical period of long ago. This is why the song ends by pointing out that we are now between the wars (the last one and the inevitable next one).
Bragg references raising a family in times of austerity, which for the working class seems to be all the time, no matter the period. First it was austerity in order to pay for the Great War, then it was austerity following in order to build up the country's economy again, followed by austerity during the second World War. This was then followed by austerity after the bombings of the war. At the time of the strike, and at the time Bragg wrote the song, Margeret Thatcher was implementing conservative policies and austerity measures under the guise that it was necessary to restore the economy. In short, the working class lives in perpetual austerity under various excuses.
He points out that no matter who's in charge, Tory's or Labor, prosperity is often tied to imperialism, conflict and war. Thus prosperity is brought down at the armoury, where the working class finds employment and the country finds prosperity not in elevating the population but in preparing for the next war.
Despite the hardships of the working people, they keep their faith in democracy, and they vote for a "helping hand" to solve societies problems rather than the "iron fist" which brings order through force. Those who do want the iron fist to enforce their will by force see their country as a land with a wall around it... seeing enemies everywhere and thus constantly in a state of war hysteria. They see life in terms of hope for a better world, brought about by the glory of war. But the working people just want the green fields, and the right to a dignified life through the fruits of their labor.
The working people want a rational society, where basic needs are met throughout one's life, where things like education, economic security, and the better things in life are not just a fairy tale. The hope for such a society seems so remote that even if a worker's government is not possible, the working classes are willing to devote themselves to a government that can at least promise them a living wage.
The song wraps up with a call to find the men that will form the society where war is a thing a past. It calls for bringing up the banners of the early socialist movement, when anit-militarism, democracy, worker's control, and internationalism were not only abandoned but made up the founding pillars of the movement.
The final lines are in reference to the rather moderate road the UK took towards progress in comparison to the rest of the world. Unlike other European powers that pursued extremes such as fascism, Nazism, and Stalinism, the UK has maintained it's basic democratic structure. This is why moderation is called the heart of the nation, and the cry is that moderation not be deserted in favor of the extremes mentioned before, but that moderation remain as the working people try to implement a better society.
The important thing to remember with this song is that it was written for and released on a 4 track EP dedicated to the UK miner's strike in 1985. The album was designed to garner support for the striking miners among the general public, and the proceeds from the sales of the EP went to the strike fund.
So, while the song may bring to mind the depression, the 1930's, and the World Wars, the subject matter is meant to be much more timely than a song written to represent an historical period of long ago. This is why the song ends by pointing out that we are now between the wars (the last one and the inevitable next one). Bragg references raising a family in times of austerity, which for the working class seems to be all the time, no matter the period. First it was austerity in order to pay for the Great War, then it was austerity following in order to build up the country's economy again, followed by austerity during the second World War. This was then followed by austerity after the bombings of the war. At the time of the strike, and at the time Bragg wrote the song, Margeret Thatcher was implementing conservative policies and austerity measures under the guise that it was necessary to restore the economy. In short, the working class lives in perpetual austerity under various excuses. He points out that no matter who's in charge, Tory's or Labor, prosperity is often tied to imperialism, conflict and war. Thus prosperity is brought down at the armoury, where the working class finds employment and the country finds prosperity not in elevating the population but in preparing for the next war. Despite the hardships of the working people, they keep their faith in democracy, and they vote for a "helping hand" to solve societies problems rather than the "iron fist" which brings order through force. Those who do want the iron fist to enforce their will by force see their country as a land with a wall around it... seeing enemies everywhere and thus constantly in a state of war hysteria. They see life in terms of hope for a better world, brought about by the glory of war. But the working people just want the green fields, and the right to a dignified life through the fruits of their labor. The working people want a rational society, where basic needs are met throughout one's life, where things like education, economic security, and the better things in life are not just a fairy tale. The hope for such a society seems so remote that even if a worker's government is not possible, the working classes are willing to devote themselves to a government that can at least promise them a living wage. The song wraps up with a call to find the men that will form the society where war is a thing a past. It calls for bringing up the banners of the early socialist movement, when anit-militarism, democracy, worker's control, and internationalism were not only abandoned but made up the founding pillars of the movement. The final lines are in reference to the rather moderate road the UK took towards progress in comparison to the rest of the world. Unlike other European powers that pursued extremes such as fascism, Nazism, and Stalinism, the UK has maintained it's basic democratic structure. This is why moderation is called the heart of the nation, and the cry is that moderation not be deserted in favor of the extremes mentioned before, but that moderation remain as the working people try to implement a better society.