Mr. Churchill Says

Album: Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) (1969)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song is about how Great Britain struggled after World War II. The first verse is Winston Churchill (who was Britain's Prime Minister during the war) telling the people what will happen, and the second verse is England collapsing. The lyrics contain quotes from Churchill, such as: "Never was so much owed by so many to so few," "We shall fight on the beaches" and "This was their finest hour."
  • Ray Davies' brother-in-law Arthur Anning was the inspiration for the "Arthur" of the album title. The Kinks were doing ambitious concept albums at the time, including The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (1968), and Lola versus Powerman and the Moneygoround Part One. Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) was intended as the soundtrack to a British TV program which never came to life. Anning moved to Australia in the mid-60's, but in the screenplay that was never produced, it is the fictional Arthur's son Derek and his wife and children who are emigrating to Australia, and the story is about Arthur spending their last day in England with them, while taking stock of his life. The point is that Derek is escaping the nightmare that represents the crumbling state of the postwar British middle-class, and it is forcing Arthur to take stock of his past. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    TheGripester - Wellington, New Zealand
  • This song uses a vintage Air Raid Siren, which was a common sound in England during World War II.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Jeff Trott

Jeff TrottSongwriter Interviews

Sheryl Crow's longtime songwriting partner/guitarist Jeff Trott reveals the stories behind many of the singer's hits, and what its like to be a producer for Leighton Meester and Max Gomez.

Dave Pirner of Soul Asylum

Dave Pirner of Soul AsylumSongwriter Interviews

Dave explains how the video appropriated the meaning of "Runaway Train," and what he thought of getting parodied by Weird Al.

Grunge Bands Quiz

Grunge Bands QuizMusic Quiz

If the name Citizen Dick means anything to you, there's a chance you'll get some of these right.

The Truth Is Out There: A History of Alien Songs

The Truth Is Out There: A History of Alien SongsSong Writing

The trail runs from flying saucer songs in the '50s, through Bowie, blink-182 and Katy Perry.

Jimmy Jam

Jimmy JamSongwriter Interviews

The powerhouse producer behind Janet Jackson's hits talks about his Boyz II Men ballads and regrouping The Time.

Cy Curnin of The Fixx

Cy Curnin of The FixxSongwriter Interviews

The man who brought us "Red Skies" and "Saved By Zero" is now an organic farmer in France.