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Take Down the Union Jack Lyrics

Take down the Union Jack
It clashes with the sunset
And put it in the attic
With the Emperor's old clothes
When did it fall apart ?
Sometime in the 80's
When the good and the great
Gave way to the greedy and the mean

Britain isn't cool you know
And it's really not that great
It's not a proper country
It doesn't even have a patron saint
It's just an economic union
That's past its sell-by date

Take down the Union Jack
It clashes with the sunset
And ask our Scottish neighbours
If independence looks any good

'Cos they just might understand
How to take an abstract notion
Of personal identity
And turn it into nationhood
Is this the 19th Century
That I'm watching on TV ?
The dear old Queen of England
Handing out those MBE's
Member of the British Empire
That doesn't sound too good to me

Gilbert and George (A pair of British modern artists whose reputation is doubtful)
Are taking the p*** aren't they ?
Gilbert and George are taking the p***
What could be more British than
"Here's a picture of me b**"
Gilbert and George are taking the p***
Take down the Union Jack
It clashes with the sunset
And pile up all those history books
But don't throw them away

'Cos they just might have a clue
About what it really means
To be an Anglo hyphen Saxon
In England-dot-Co-dot-UK

To be an Anglo hyphen Saxon
In England-dot-Co-dot-UK

Words & Music : Billy Bragg
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