Shami Chakrabarti

Album: Vile Pervert (2007)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • At first sight this is a straightforward tribute song to a woman named Shami Chakrabarti; there would be nothing unusual about that if it were not written by Jonathan King, because at the time it was written Miss Chakrabarti was at least 25 years too old for him. And female, of course.

    Although this song does say nice things about the lady in question it was written as yet another swipe at the British legal system. Shami Chakrabarti was born in 1969, graduated from the London School Of Economics, qualified as a barrister, and after working for the Home Office joined Liberty in 2001, becoming its Director in September 2003.

    Liberty was founded in 1934 as the National Council For Civil Liberties, and campaigns for and against a large number of civil liberties issues - against ID cards and torture, for homosexual rights, but it is doubtful if Miss Chakrabarti or any bona fide member of her organization supports Jonathan King's idea of homosexual rights, ie legalizing sex between men of his age and young boys.
  • King wrote the song for his highly acclaimed musical Vile Pervert - highly acclaimed by Jonathan King, that is. The title song sums up King in his own words. Writing in the June 2008 issue of the prison newspaper Inside Time, Bob Woffinden said, "It's still possible that the British legal authorities will come to rue the day that they convicted and imprisoned Jonathan King."

    Sure, the Judges of Appeal are already quaking in their boots. Woffinden also approves of a song written in tribute to this eloquent campaigner. No doubt she would have appreciated it too, had it been written by anyone but Jonathan King. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England, for above 2

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Gary Lewis

Gary LewisSongwriter Interviews

Gary Lewis and the Playboys had seven Top 10 hits despite competition from The Beatles. Gary talks about the hits, his famous father, and getting drafted.

AC/DC

AC/DCFact or Fiction

Does Angus really drink himself silly? Did their name come from a sewing machine? See if you can spot the real stories about AC/DC.

Second Wind Songs

Second Wind SongsSong Writing

Some songs get a second life when they find a new audience through a movie, commercial, TV show, or even the Internet.

Adam Young of Owl City

Adam Young of Owl CitySongwriter Interviews

Is Owl City on a quest for another hit like "Fireflies?" Adam answers that question and explains the influences behind many others.

Women Who Rock

Women Who RockSong Writing

Evelyn McDonnell, editor of the book Women Who Rock, on why the Supremes are just as important as Bob Dylan.

Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull

Ian Anderson of Jethro TullSongwriter Interviews

The flautist frontman talks about touring with Led Zeppelin, his contribution to "Hotel California", and how he may have done the first MTV Unplugged.