We Are People

‘We Are People’ is our fifth studio album. You’ll find a little more info about each of the tracks below, and keep scrolling down for song lyrics too!

England Bound

British and English cultural identity has become a political battleground. This song explores how conflicted one can feel about one’s national identity. Written by Stuart Giddens.

The Mystery Wedge

A medley of two stomping tunes, both written by Laura Boston-Barber.

The Devil Mercury

Written by Stuart Giddens and based on accounts from the time of the English Civil Wars about the use of mercury to treat syphilis. The syphilis epidemic began in Europe in 1495. With no cure for 400 years, syphilis could cause ulcers, organ failure, and the nose to rot and disintegrate. Mercury was first used to treat syphilis in the 16th Century, applied as an ointment, taken as pills, or administered as vapours. As Mercury is toxic, the treatment was almost as bad as the disease, sometimes causing teeth to fall out, or the eyes and ears to bleed. Gruesome! Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease, and the phrase “One night with Venus, a lifetime with Mercury” became popular during this period. ‘Axe Alley’ was a euphemistic reference to one of London’s historic pleasure districts. Syphilis was euphemistically called ‘the French disease’ and someone who contracted the disease was said to be undertaking a ‘journey to France’.

The Sum of Us

Adapted by Stuart Giddens from a poem by Tony Walsh detailing various experiences of the Covid pandemic.

Martin’s Polka

A slow, gyrating tune by Laura Boston-Barber.

Who’s The Fool Now?

An interpretation of a traditional drinking song which has more than a little funk about it. Incorporates ‘Martin’s Polka’ by Laura Boston-Barber.

What Will You Do In The Morning?

Documenting the financial pressures many people faced, and continue to face, as a result of the cost-of-living crisis. Written by Stuart Giddens.

Mother Carey

A folk-prog epic inspired by the myth of the eponymous sea-witch who is said to be a harbinger of storms and cause of shipwrecks. Written by Stuart Giddens.

Squeeze the Teabag

A medley of two tunes: a cheeky hip-wiggler by Laura Boston-Barber called “Squeeze the Teabag”, and a high-adrenaline cinematic romp called “Ridley’s Revenge” by Paddy Lester-Rourke.

I Am People

A frantic folk-punk expression of anger at the rhetoric which aims to divide us. Written by Stuart Giddens.

When Jones’ Ale Was New

A trad drinking song, popular in the pace-egging tradition.

Lyrics

England Bound

As our boat crashes in to the white cliffs of Dover
C’nut’s on the clifftop his arms open wide
With one hand he’s waving a union flag
With the other he’s trying to hold back the RNLI

So this is England, ruler of waves
Oh this is England, spend and never save

Oven ready deals, free school meals
“Rule Britannia!”, I know you love that sound
Executive powers, zero hours
Think-tanks, food banks, honey
We’re England Bound

“Poor, poor, I’m poor!” Well that’s what you said
But have you ever tried just being rich instead?
“Poor, poor, I’m poor!” Well that’s what you say
But you know we all have the exact same hours in a day
Okay

Oven ready deals, free school meals
“Rule Britannia!”, you know I love that sound
Executive powers, zero hours
Think-tanks, food banks, honey
We’re England Bound

When you told me you wanted your country back I just laughed, “You’re welcome to it.”
When you told me you wanted your country back I just laughed, you know that you’re welcome to it
When you told me you wanted your country back I just laughed, “You’re welcome to it.”
When you told me you wanted your country back I just laughed,
Oh I shouldn’t have laughed, should I?

Oven ready deals, free school meals
“Rule Britannia!”, you know I love that sound
Oh executive powers, zero hours
Think-tanks, food banks, honey
We’re England Bound

Oven ready deals, free school meals
“Rule Britannia!”, you know I loathe that sound
Oh executive powers, zero hours
Think-tanks, food banks, honey
We’re England Bound

The Devil Mercury

Down to Axe Alley all wastrels are drawn
Set me free from the devil mercury
For a kiss from a rose and a prick from a thorn
Set me free from the devil mercury
You dread stepping out on a journey to France
But look in her eyes and you’ll soon take a chance
Singing set me free, set me free
From the devil mercury, the devil mercury

Now there’s spots on your soles and there’s spots on your palms
Set me free from the devil mercury
And it creeps up your legs and it creeps up your arms
Set me free from the devil mercury
It wilts all the leaves and it blackens the fruit
‘Til your beg ’em to tear it right out at the root
Singing set me free, set me free
From the devil mercury, the devil mercury

Then in come the doctors their work to begin
Set me free from the devil mercury
It’s a dose of quicksilver boys straight to the skin
Set me free from the devil mercury
With ropes round your wrist and a bag on your head
They’ll boil you and baste you, you’ll wish you were dead
Singing set me free, set me free
From the devil mercury, the devil mercury

Bloody eyes, bloody ears, no teeth and no nose
All for the scent of a sweet smelling rose
A kiss from a rose, a foot in the grave
One night with Venus now you’re Mercury’s slave
Singing set me free, set me free
From the devil mercury, the devil mercury
the devil mercury, the devil mercury

Set me free from the devil mercury
Singing set me free from the devil mercury
Singing set me free from the devil mercury
Singing set me free from the devil mercury
Singing set me free, set me free
From the devil mercury, the devil mercury
the devil mercury, the devil mercury

The Sum of Us

Some of us were working to keep progress on the road
While some of us were working on the tests
Some of us were aching for we carried heavy loads
While some of us were just doing our best
Some of us were working hard to keep us safe and fed
Some of us were locked down in our homes
Some of us were making masks and others baking bread
Some of us were bored down to our bones

Some of us were sewing scrubs and some were sowing seeds
Some were stitching fragments into plans
Some were holding Zoom meetings with babies on our knees
Some were holding only lonely hands
Some of us were shattered working day and night
Some of us our jobs had died a death
Some of us were drawing coloured rainbows shining bright
Some of us were drawing our last breath

When we summon up the sum of all our strengths
And we multiply the sum of us will go to any lengths
Now, oh, just do the maths

Some of us shared photographs of where and who we’d been
Some of us were keen and fresh and young
Some of us were singing ‘Happy Birthday’ into screens
Some of us were weeping as it’s sung
Some of us were living with an illness and a fear
Some of us were living on our phones
Some of us were living without all that we held dear
Some of us were living on our own

When we summon up the sum of all our strengths
And we multiply the sum of us will go to any lengths
Now, oh, just do the maths

For some of us the sum of us has always been the need
For some of us the sum of us the hope
For some of us the sum of us is lesser than our greed
With some of us just left to try and cope
Some of us are wealthy, some of us are poor
Some of us can buy a magic pill
But some of us know some of us won’t cut it anymore
If some of us are sick we all are ill

When we summon up the sum of all our strengths
And we multiply the sum of us will go to any lengths
Oh, just do the maths

Who’s the fool now?

Martin said to his man, ‘Fie man, fie’
Martin said to his man, ‘Who’s the fool now?’
Martin said to his man, ‘Take the cup and I the can
Thou has well drunken, lad, who’s the fool now?’

Saw the mouse chase the cat, fie man, fie
Saw the mouse chase the cat, who’s the fool now?
Saw the mouse chase the cat, saw the cheese eat the rat
Thou has well drunken, lad, who’s the fool now?

Who’s the fool now?
Tell me, who’s the fool now?

Saw the maid milk the bull, fie man, fie
Saw the maid milk the bull, who’s the fool now?
Saw the maid milk the bull, with every tug a bucketful
Thou has well drunken, lad, who’s the fool now?

Who’s the fool now?
Tell me, who’s the fool now?

Who’s the fool now?
Who’s the fool now?

Who’s the fool now?

What will you do in the morning?

What will you do in the morning when the mortgage payment’s due?
What will you do in the morning when the kids are too hungry for school?
What will you do in the morning when the car’s all out of fuel?
It’s another day yet still deeper in debt
Oh the morning can be so cruel

And what will you do in the daytime when the bills fall onto the mat?
What will you do in the daytime when there’s no more hours to be had?
What will you do in the daytime when you can’t afford care for dad?
Another day yet still deeper in debt
Oh the day can be so hard

And what will you do in the evening when the boiler’s on the blink?
What will you do in the evening when the worry drives you to drink?
What will you do in the evening when it feels expensive to think?
Another day yet still deeper in debt
One more evening on the brink

And what will you do in the night-time when you lay down in your bed?
And what will you do in the night-time when dark thoughts run through your head?
What will you do in the night-time when the next morning fills you with dread?
Another day yet still deeper in debt
Another night stuck in the red

One more day counting pennies, one more day pulling through
When little Georgie’s outgrown her raincoat, and little Freddy’s worn out his shoes
You know we’re all in this together lad, our profits are suffering too
It’s another day yet still deeper in debt
So just tighten your belt and make do

Mother Carey

The sun fades from the sky, the blue turns to grey
Bairns cry for their mothers and run home from their play
The fishermen all tie their wrists and ankles to mast
Better tie those ropes tight boys, better tie them fast

For somewhere out there on the bay, somewhere on the water
She rises up out of the waves, the ocean’s cruel daughter
The poor enraptured fishermen they strain against their ties
She flexes her body and sings her lullaby

She sings, ‘Mother Carey, Mother Carey’s here!’
She sings, ‘Mother Carey, Mother Carey’s here!’

There’s a young naive man on the beach, he knows not the danger
He sees a woman waist deep in the waves, a beautiful naked stranger
He is captivated and he’s seized by an urge to devour
Feast on her body ’til his flesh rots and his blood turns sour
The lightning on her hair, the salt that pools on her skin
He wades into the water and like a seabird he dives in
And he laughs at the rain, at thunder’s almighty din
A strange voice erupts from his throat and he sings

‘Mother Carey, Mother Carey’s here!’
He sings, ‘Mother Carey, Mother Carey’s here!’

She takes him by the hand, she pulls him to her side
The boy falls silent now that they are eye to eye
They swim off into the storm, they swim and they disappear
She wraps her arms around him and whispers in his ear

‘Mother Carey, Mother Carey’s here!’
She whispers, ‘Mother Carey, Mother Carey’s here!’

Down down deeper down, down into deeper water
The boy turns pale and he shivers like a lamb to the slaughter
Down down deeper down, deeper down they race
He is so infatuated he’s oblivious to the change passing over her face
Where once her skin was radiant, now it’s bruised, blue and grey
And where one on her cheeks bloomed roses, now the petals all wilt away
And where once golden locks flowed, black wires spring from her head
And her mouth, gaping and toothless where once it was coral red
All of a sudden the spell is broken, and the truth plain to see
But she grasps at his wrist with a claw-like hand as he tries to turn and flee
And she cries, ‘Love me! Love me! I only ever want to be loved.’
But now all about them is darkness, and he can’t tell beneath from above
And he tries to cry out underwater, but the sea is freezing his tongue
And he tries to cry out underwater, but the sea is filling his lungs

He tries to cry, ‘Mother Carey! Mother Carey’s here!’
‘Mother Carey! Mother Carey’s here!’
‘Mother Carey! Mother Carey’s here!’
‘Mother Carey! Mother Carey’s here!’

The sun reappears in the sky, the blue eats up the grey
The boy’s cold, dead body lilts upon the waves
The fishermen all loose their knots, relieved to have their lives
Haul in their ropes for the day and go home to their wives

I Am People

People of this country have had enough of experts
And people have taken back control
Well people are at the heart of everything we do
And people are working to a common goal
People won’t be scared, people have sent a clear message
People can make up their own minds
Well people have moved on, yeah people have moved on
But I haven’t moved on and still
You know that
I
I am
I am people

I am people too, I am people too
I don’t think like you, I don’t think like you
We are people we, you don’t speak for me
You know that
I
I am
I am people

I am people too, I am people too
I am not like you, I am not like you
We are people we, you don’t speak for me
You know that
I
I am
I am people

People of this country have had just about enough of the
Guardian reading, tofu eating wokerati
And people know that what we call a spade
Is a spade is a spade
People won’t be cowed, people have sent a clear message
People can make up their own minds
Now people have moved on, yeah people have moved on
But I haven’t moved on and still
You know that
I
I am
I am people

Blackbeard’s Tea Party – I Am People (Official music video)

When Jones’ Ale Was New

There were some jolly young fellows
Came over the hill together
Came over the hill together
To form a jovial crew
And they sat themselves upon the ground
And each one swore he’d spend a pound
And they’d have glasses all around
When Jones’ ale was new me boys
When Jones’ ale was new

The first to come in was a tinker
And good lord he was no drinker
Good lord he was no drinker
To join this jovial crew
He said, ‘Any pots or kettles to fettle?
‘My tools are made of the finest metal’
And lord how his hammer and tongs did rattle
When Jones’ ale was new me boys
When Jones’ ale was new

The last to come in was a mason
With his hammer and chisel to face ’em
His hammer and chisel to face ’em
And join this jovial crew
He flung his old hammer against the wall
And he swore that churhces and chapels would fall
And that’d make work for masons all
When Jones’ ale was new me boys
When Jones’ ale was new

Blackbeard’s Tea Party – When Jones’ Ale Was New (Official music video)