Were you never in the Girl Guides? Never sang Jerusalem?
When you are young Parry's stirring music lifts your heart and repetition makes you feel it must be good. William Blake's poem however, is ironic not patriotic as many assume. The answer to each of the the questions he asks is a resounding "no". Can you remember the words? Have you never thought about them?
And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green?
No, there has never been any thought that Jesus came here.
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasent pastures seen?
Again No!
And did the countenance divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
No!
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among those dark satanic mills?
Definitely No.
Jerusalem is much more accurately an anti-capitalist anthem, more suited to the Labour Party conference where I believe it is sung. It was also my school hymn. That school was set up by a group of warehouseman and clerks in 1855 as a charity - very much a forerunner of today's union's. Money was collected from the Manchester Warehousemen and Clerks and the school was for the 'orphans' (actually defined as fatherless children) of those men. I can't help but be proud of all such co-operative schemes which later led to the state systems which sadly the Tories are trying to remove, brick by brick.
I think, as a school hymn, we sang it for all the right reasons . Elsewhere Blake wrote "Go down, ye Kings and Counsellors and Giant Warriors…Go down with horse and Chariots and Trumpets of hoarse war… Let the slave, grinding at the mill, run out into the field. Let him look up into the heavens and laugh in the bright air." I really think you need to take another look at the very descriptive 'Jerusalem'.
