Written by: L. Thompson
Lead Vocal: Lee Thompson
Backing Vocals: Graham ‘Suggs’ McPherson
Guitar: Chris Foreman
Keyboards: Mike Barson
Saxophone: Lee Thompson
Bass: Mark Bedford
Drums: Dan Woodgate
Foreign titles: Tierra De Esperanza Y Gloria
The Lot, 1999
Lee: Land Of Hope And Glory was about a reform school I spent some time in after getting in a spot of trouble.
One Step Beyond, 2023 CD reissue
Woody: ‘Land Of Hope And Glory’ is about Borstal, about reform school, which Lee did attend for a short period of his life. It was a horrible experience. But Lee has a knack of writing about personal experiences, and he kind of parodies things and makes them into a laugh. But really, if you take the lyrics of ‘Land Of Hope And Glory’ seriously, it’s not a funny song. But that’s Lee’s art, his skill. He’s a great writer.
Bedders: Lee had all the lyrics done. Looking at them, we realised that it was literally a story. It had a beginning, a middle and an end. We decided we were just going to back the story. It wasn’t like, “We’ve got to do a verse, we’ll have to have a chorus here and a middle eight here”. It’s a trick from old ska and reggae songs, like ‘The 10 Commandments’ by Prince Buster. The band just groove behind him while he reads out his list of commandments. That was what we would be doing – we would set up something rolling behind Lee, giving him a platform to tell the story.
Chris: I wrote this with Lee, one of the earliest things I wrote. It’s trying to be a bit R&B. People say, “Madness are ska”, and obviously there’s ‘One Step Beyond…’ and ‘Night Boat’, which are very ska. But ‘Land Of Hope And Glory’ and ‘Believe Me’ are not ska. I was quite pleased with it. Sharkey and all that were people that were actually in borstal with Lee, though I think he made up some of the names, like Nutley. When we’d do it live, Lee would always get the names the wrong way around or miss his cue.
Woody: I never learned my rudiments. I haven’t got a clue how to do a flipping paradiddle or a triplet flam fedangled wotsit. So ‘Land Of Hope And Glory’ was my attempt at a military drumbeat. I had an idea of doing a beat like Steely Dan’s ‘Reeling In The Years’. I never came anywhere close to it, but that was the rhythm I wanted. I did me best. It was a bit of a bugger. But I managed it.
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Lyrics:
(Background talking)
Attention! Grrrrrr!
Bridges
Sharkey
Nutley
Jackson
Thompson-Master
Well as you can see we’ve got a new recruit
To this land of hope and glory
Hands behind backs and legs apart
And tell us all your unfortunate story
Who me sir?
Yes you sir
I was an innocent man
Till someone grassed me of my plan
Of earning some big money
I hadn’t mouthed it about
I am sure without doubt
I’d have missed this land of hope and glory
Well, you poor, poor sod
Here you’re up sharp at six thirty
A cold shower down to breakfast
Can’t have you looking dirty
I suggest you eat what’s given you
Even if it doesn’t agree with you
Cause it’s all you’ll be getting
Up until twelve thirty
In between this time you stay up in your room
And you can dream of how life could have been
Two years of me teenage life
Given to this stand to attention life
Of land of hope and glory (Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha)
I’m getting so bored as time goes by
I think I’ll do something dirty
I’ll pick at the floor for juicy butts
And I’ll make myself a smoke
A bog roll, an envelope, stick it
All this helps to pass my time
As the evening drags on you can watch a little telly
Hot Gossip, Pans People with their little bit of belly
Porridge served cold with a hint of yesterdays
Don’t complain, learn the game
And I’ll get through another day
I watch the hand on the clock
At long last it’s nine thirty
Off to bed, straight to sleep
As I leave this land of hope and glory
But only for a few seconds am I in ecstasy
Before the bell rings to let me know
Sharp at six thirty
And the, and two, and six, and the…
Come on you lot, come on
The song first appeared on the ‘One Step Beyond…’ LP (Stiff)
Recorded at Eden Studios, Chiswick & T.W. Studios, Fulham
Producer: Clive Langer / Alan Winstanley
Length: 2:59
Key: G
Tempo: ~150 bpm
Also appears on:
Live recordings:
‘Land Of Hope & Glory’ was played at nearly every gig in 1979 and 1980 then fairly regularly until 2002, then the HOF Weekenders 2016 & 2021 and the 2019 Roundhouse gigs
‘MISTAKES’ 2LP – The Paradise Ballroom, Boston, Massachusetts, USA 24 Feb 1980
‘The Peel Sessions’ – Recorded 14 Aug 1979
‘MIS LIVE – A COLLECTION OF LIVE SONGS RECORDED AROUND THE PLONET 1980 TO 1985’
‘MADSTOCK!’ – Finsbury Park, London 8 Aug 1992 (video only)
‘The Harder They Come’ CD Single – Madstock, Finsbury Park, London 8 Aug 1992