Jah Wobble
A Very British Coup
Cadiz Music
Even the devil has sold his soul…
In a week that saw the spineless, corrupt US Senate conclude their sham “trial” of impeached President Trump and the UK tossing aside their neighbors with Brexit, it’s fitting that this rousing protest anthem gets released in America. A Very British Coup finds Jah Wobble with his former PiL bandmates – drummer Richard Dudanski and guitarist Keith Levene along with vocals from The Pop Group’s Mark Stewart with their take on Brexit (although it’s never actually mentioned in the song).
Produced by Youth (Martin Glover), the track reminds you of the glory days – early Clash and PiL’s Second Edition era, with Wobble’s elastic bass percolating in and out of the mix, playing off Levene’s spiky stabs of guitar. This American release features four versions of the song – including “Dogma”, a radio edit, and “Youth Dub”, found only on this CD.
Brexit and the impeachment of Trump share a common theme, namely, that the “powers that be” rule by lies – or as Stewart yelps, What they didn’t want us to know/Down in the sewers, and they go to great lengths to avoid speaking about it. In the US the Senators rejected evidence and witnesses to rush to a forgone conclusion, smirking all the while. In Britain the underlying push to exit the EU was vile nativism and xenophobia, dressed up in purely economic terms, with buses painted with cheery exclamations of all the money that Brexit would return to Britain. It was, of course, like Trump’s defense, a complete and utter lie, mouthed by timid, fearful demagogues.
Perhaps this call to arms will help to stiffen the spines of American voters, who, in November, will vote on the future of our great American experiment. Do we confirm the virtues of what makes America singular and exceptional, or do we give up and let the bastards in expensive suits sell our dreams for their year-end bonuses. Hyperbole? Maybe. Think back three years and tell me I’m exaggerating.
Even the devil has sold his soul…
