Discussion Topic
"Beasts of England" as a Stirring Tune in Animal Farm
Summary:
In George Orwell's Animal Farm, "Beasts of England" is described as a "stirring tune" to inspire the animals' rebellion against humans. The anthem, reminiscent of "My Darling Clementine" and "La Cucaracha," uses a catchy melody to instill hope and convey Animalist ideology. Its lyrics, promising a brighter future without oppression, motivate the animals to strive for freedom. The song effectively symbolizes the animals' aspirations for equality and liberation.
Why does Orwell describe "Beasts of England" as a "stirring tune" in chapter 1 of Animal Farm?
"Beasts of England" is supposed to be, as the above excerpt says, a stirring anthem, a song what will inspire the animals in their long, hard struggle against the hated human oppressor. Even in the fairytale world of Animal Farm pigs are not renowned for their musical abilities, so in coming up with "Beasts of England" Old Major had to "borrow" elements from existing songs.
What mattered most of all was that the new anthem should have a catchy tune that could easily be remembered by all the animals on the farm. The lilting, jaunty rhythm is intended to fill the animals with a sense of hope, a sense that a brighter future is just around the corner. A solemn dirge wouldn't have had anywhere near the same inspiring effect. The lyrics of the song are also incredibly important as they provide the animals with a simplified version of Animalist...
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ideology. Come the revolution and the bright new dawn of Animalism, "Bit and spur shall rust forever," and "Cruel whips shall no more crack." It doesn't quite work out like that, of course. Still, nice tune, though.
Perhaps George Orwell found both "My Darling Clementine" and "La Cucaracha" highly stirring songs himself, but I believe what he really meant to say was that "Beasts of England" could be sung to a tune that is quite similar to the other songs. I have always found Orwell's mention of this passage highly amusing, since it does appear (at first) that he is comparing the relative emotions of the songs. But after singing the words of "Beasts of England" to the tunes of the two other songs, it becomes apparent that Old Major simply borrowed a well-known song (or in this case, two) to which he attached his own lyrics.
What are the lyrics to "Beasts of England" in Animal Farm?
Here are the words to the sond Old Major taught -- a song he had remembered from his youth in a dream. The lyrics are sung to the tune of La Cucaracha:
Beasts of England, beasts of Ireland,
Beasts of every land and clime,
Hearken to my joyful tidings
Of the golden future time.
Soon or late the day is coming,
Tyrant Man shall be o'erthrown,
And the fruitful fields of England
Shall be trod by beasts alone.
Rings shall vanish from our noses,
And the harness from our back,
Bit and spur shall rust forever,
Cruel whips no more shall crack.
Riches more than mind can picture,
Wheat and barley, oats and hay,
Clover, beans, and mangel-wurzels
Shall be ours upon that day.
Bright will shine the fields of England,
Purer shall its waters be,
Sweeter yet shall blow its breezes
On the day that sets us free.
For that day we all must labour,
Though we die before it break;
Cows and horses, geese and turkeys,
All must toil for freedom's sake.
Beasts of England, beasts of Ireland,
Beasts of every land and clime,
Hearken well and spread my tidings
Of the golden future time.
In Animal Farm, which two songs' tunes mix to create "Beasts of England"?
In Chapter One of Animal Farm, Old Major summons the animals to a meeting in the barn. During his speech, he sings a song called "Beasts of England," the tune of which is a combination of two other songs: "Clementine," a traditional folk ballad, and "La Cucaracha," a Spanish song often associated with the Mexican Revolution. The latter song is particularly apt, considering that Old Major is trying to inspire the animals to rebel against Mr. Jones and take possession of the farm.
Old Major is successful in his mission: the animals quickly learn the tune of "Beasts of England" and begin singing it themselves. The stage is now set for their rebellion and this song becomes the symbol of the animals' equality with and liberation from mankind.