At the Drop of Another Hat

[rafhenlow]

Maybe it is an age thing, but we, (the English?), always seemed to take the mick out of anything, even ourselves if necessary. Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit I am told. We get gold medals in this stuff, & we don't take ourselves seriously, or didn't when I was growing up.

[Alcagaur]

Perhaps Donald's Quakerism was a factor, yet I feel that the "mote in the eye" tendencies of this, "Sounding Brass" and "Reluctant Cannibal", and more, along with the "reverse angle" of such numbers as "Built Up Area" and "Dead Ducks", reflect a core concept in their work - that we all possess idiosyncrasies and odd, inconsistent aspects, and that there is nothing intrinsically terrible in this, so long as we remain aware of it.

[cogidubnus1953]

As a philatelist I have to say that many of the stamps are irrelevant...except to prove what any Gibbon could tell you...

Nonetheless thank you for posting this brilliant piece!

[jftsang]

How did they get away with performing this?

[RichardNeill01]

irony.

[Shameriwen]

People knew (and still do?) the opinions they expressed were for comedic effect.

[WinnipegFellow]

Satire is a powerful thing.

[Alcagaur]

@jftsang As with Gilbert and Sullivan before them, and numbers like Springsteen's "Born in the USA" after, those who were the butt of the joke took the number to heart and sang it straight, utterly failing to perceive the jibe. The rest, one hopes likewise the majority, recognised themselves and their inconsistencies (a la "Reluctant Cannibal") in it. It may also be that the effect was diluted by following it immediately with "Hippo".

[fattoler]

"There will always be a north pole, unless ome dangerous clown goes and melts it".

Why did we ignore the waring signs?

[thomsonfly645k]

there is another version of the first song

[MattySands]

interesting mr. swan.....

[sander1148]

what are the stamps related to?

[MOLLYSANDER]

there is a tenuous connection between the fall and decline of the British Empire as shown by stamps and the contrast with the song 'the English are Best'