Tubthumping
June 12, 2007 | Filed under Media, Politics
Truth is, I thought it mattered. I thought that music mattered. But those are bollocks. Not compared to how people matter.
Anyone recognise that? It’s a quote from the end of the film “Brassed Off”, the British film about a colliery band whose members are fighting against the closure of their coal mine. In the end however, management wins, the mine is closed, and a thousand miners lose their jobs and are sunk even deeper into debt and a state of living which is well below the poverty line. Music remains the only means through which they gain and maintain any respect for themselves as human beings – and they win the National Brass Band Championships as a result.
It’s an good screen translation of the way that the Thatcher government transformed the shape of Britain – nigh upon a hundred and fifty mines were closed during her ‘reign’ and thousands upon thousands of miners lost their jobs. People, individual welfare, weren’t considered – the only thing that was important was ‘the good of the nation’. Who cares if you trod on a couple of hundred thousand along the way, driving them to the depths of despair and contemplation of suicide when you’re making the nation a better place?
It’s particularly apt that the above quote was chosen as the opening few lines of Chumbawumba’s “Tubthumping”. Remember that song? It was released in 1997, and is probably best remembered for its chorus “I get knocked down! But I get up again; you’re never gonna keep me down”.
Think about it. It’s incredibly appropriate. A tubthumper is someone who protests and campaigns against the government, the chorus is about not letting the the government keep you down with their rules and regulations, and it opens with a quote from a movie about a bunch of miners who are oppressed by government rulings yet who still gain the opportunity to speak out against closing mines that employ thousands of people.
And I only made these connections a couple of days ago. You could say I’m a bit slow, it’s been a decade since I first heard the song, and about eight years since I first watched the movie.
7 Responses to Tubthumping
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The movie reminds me a bit of Billy Elliot in a bizarre way; just without the dancing (which as it made up the movie mean they’re almost entirely unalike, but I’m sure you see my point somewhere). I used to love that song. Sang the wrong words, mind you, as I was only 6.
Amber on June 12, 2007 #
just stumbled across ur site again, cos i’m sposed to be studying :) how’s the exams going? read abt china – ur gunna freeze ur butt off! just got my tix, i’ll be over there july – sept, but good chance i might be there around christmas too, will let u know :)
luv that song btw, fav karaoke song!
bobbi on June 12, 2007 #
I haven’t seen the movie but I’ll be adding it to my queue now. Yea, I was always surprised that most people were unaware that the song was political even though the band went around announcing it.
Jen on June 12, 2007 #
I haven’t seen the movie but I surely know the Tubthumper song. I really like listening to Chumbawamba – especially their latest album.
Nan on June 12, 2007 #
It’s shocking how you know more about British history than I do. I need to read more! I blame my school – instead of learning about ourselves we spend months studying Hitler. Why talk about the man who was the epitome of cruelty and control, when we can study our own history? It beats me.
I really like this layout by the way! Sorry for not commenting before. Anything that includes purple is loverly.
Laura on June 13, 2007 #
Laura’s right. I learnt nothing of more recent British history in school, learning about the Tudors etc instead. You probably know about Thatcher than I do…
Jem on June 13, 2007 #
I actually can hear that play in my head just like I had the CD on. My brain stores all sorts of useless things. I remember I had to track down the European import of the album with all the liner notes because the copy I got in Manilla had all the liner notes replaced with a note that the information couldn’t be printed in them because of US copyright law.
Never seen the film, though. I should see if it’s on Netflix.
Jack on June 13, 2007 #