Luddites

The Triumph Of General Ludd by Chumbawamba (written in 1812)

A Luddite is a person who is resistent, or unable to adapt to new technology or ways of working.

The term comes from the Luddites - a movement of workhers from the wool and cotton idustry, who were opposed to new machinery replacing humans in the workplace. The "leader" of the movement (or the person who lent the movement their name), was General Ned Ludd, a mythical figure who lived in Sherwood Forest.

From Wikipedia:

Supposedly, Ludd was a weaver from Anstey, near Leicester, England. In 1779, either after being whipped for idleness or after being taunted by local youths, he smashed two knitting frames in what was described as a "fit of passion". This story is traceable to an article in The Nottingham Review on 20 December 1811, but there is no independent evidence of its truth. John Blackner's book History of Nottingham, also published in 1811, provides a variant tale, of a lad called "Ludlam" who was told by his father, a framework-knitter, to "square his needles". Ludlam took a hammer and "beat them into a heap". News of the incident spread, and whenever frames were sabotaged, people would jokingly say "Ned Ludd did it".

By 1812, organised frame-breakers became known as Luddites, using the name King Ludd or Captain Ludd for their mythical leader. Letters and proclamations were signed by "Ned Ludd".

More from the National Archives Here

In fact, when it comes to an education, Chumbawamba are a great source, with sleevenotes that frequently go into the details and backstory behind the characters in each of their songs. I'm sure I'll post more by them at some point.

Crab Mentality

Tall Poppies by Yard Act

Crab Theory (or Crab Mentality) is the observed behaviour of a group of crabs in a bucket with no lid. Although any crab would be able climb out and escape if they tried, when doing so the rest of the crabs will hold the crab back. I didn't know that crabs did this.

Parallels can be drawn to human behaviour of "if I can't have it, neither can you".

Born dyed in the wool

Never knowing of a belly half full

So many of us just crabs in a barrel

With no feasible means to escape the inevitable cull

Enola Gay

Enola Gay by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

As a nine year old in 1980, it was just a song. Maybe the name of a woman, but nothing more. But then I dug a bit deeper and so learnt about the plane, a B-29 Fortress Bomber, that dropped the first atomic bomb during world war 2. Named after the pilot’s mother, Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb (codenamed “little boy”) on Hiroshima at 8:15am on 6 August 1945. All of a sudden the line “the kiss you give is never ever gonna fade away” revealed it’s true meaning.

Enola Gay

Is mother proud of Little Boy today?

Ah-ha, this kiss you give

It’s never ever gonna fade away

It’s 8:15

And that’s the time that it’s always been

We got your message on the radio

Conditions normal and you’re coming home

"You'll Never Learn Anything By Listening To Music"

This is what my dad told me when I was a teenager. He was frustated at my complete immersion in music and felt that I should be educating myself more through art and literature. He was wrong.

I'm pretty sure we've all learnt a LOT by listening to music. From the remarkable to the trivial, here's some of the things that music taught me