Lily Allen recently stated that she doesn’t think Rule Britannia should be sung anymore.
The singer-songwriter took to Instagram to express her opinions about the song often sung at remembrance events and famously on the Last Night of the Proms.
Allen posted some of the lyrics:
“Britannia rule the waves. / Britons never, never, never, shall be slaves. / The nations, not so blest as thee, / Must in their turn, to tyrants fall, / While thou shalt flourish, shalt flourish great and free, / The dread and envy of them all.”
The song dates back to 1740, a time when the slave trade was in full swing, and while some consider it a song of defiance and national pride, others suggest that it is a relic of Britain’s colonial history.
Allen argues that the song is racist, and said that “it should be in the bin”.
...is she right?
Head over to our Twitter, and join the debate!
Copied!