The People's Flag is Palest Pink
Encyclopedia
"The People's Flag Is Palest Pink", also known as "The Red Flag Once a Year" or the "Battle Hymn of the New Socialist Party", is a parody
of the song "The Red Flag".
It is intended to satirise
the perceived lack of socialist principles in the British Labour Party
. It long predates the reforms associated with Tony Blair
. It was widely known in the 1960s, sometimes sung during late night parties at student conferences. Versions of this song have been recorded and released at least twice by singer/songwriter Leon Rosselson
under the title of "Battle Hymn of the New Socialist Party" between the late 1960s and the early 2000s and he may claim credit for authorship of the song, although a version which began "The people's flag is palest pink, mum washed it in the kitchen sink" was popular among school children in the fifties and may have inspired Rosselson's version.
It is sung to the tune "O Tannenbaum
/Oh Christmas Tree".
A version that was popular with members of the Labour Party Young Socialists in the 1970s had the following lyrics:
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of the song "The Red Flag".
It is intended to satirise
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
the perceived lack of socialist principles in the British Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
. It long predates the reforms associated with Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
. It was widely known in the 1960s, sometimes sung during late night parties at student conferences. Versions of this song have been recorded and released at least twice by singer/songwriter Leon Rosselson
Leon Rosselson
Leon Rosselson is an English songwriter and writer of children's books. After his early involvement in the folk music revival in Britain, he came to prominence, singing his own satirical songs, in the BBC's topical TV programme of the early 1960s, That Was The Week That Was...
under the title of "Battle Hymn of the New Socialist Party" between the late 1960s and the early 2000s and he may claim credit for authorship of the song, although a version which began "The people's flag is palest pink, mum washed it in the kitchen sink" was popular among school children in the fifties and may have inspired Rosselson's version.
It is sung to the tune "O Tannenbaum
O Tannenbaum
"O Tannenbaum", or, in its English version, "O Christmas Tree", is a Christmas carol of German origin.A Tannenbaum is a fir tree or Christmas tree...
/Oh Christmas Tree".
A version that was popular with members of the Labour Party Young Socialists in the 1970s had the following lyrics:
- The people's flag is palest pink
- It's not as red as you might think.
- White collar workers stand and cheer
- Your Labour government is here.
- We'll change the country bit by bit
- so no-one will notice it.
- And just to show we're still sincere
- We'll sing The Red Flag once a year.