England, Half-English
| England, Half-English | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
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| Studio album by Billy Bragg and the Blokes | ||||
| Released | 5 March 2002 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 42:58 | |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| Producer | Grant Showbiz | |||
| Billy Bragg and the Blokes chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | (64/100) |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |
   |
| The Austin Chronicle |
|
| Entertainment Weekly | B− |
| Los Angeles Times |
|
| Neumu.net |
  |
| NME | (5/10) |
| Playlouder |
|
| Robert Christgau |
 |
| Rolling Stone |
|
| Spin | (7/10) |
| Stylus Magazine | F |
| Uncut |
|
| Yahoo! Music UK |
|
England, Half-English is a 2002 album by English political singer-songwriter Billy Bragg and The Blokes, and a song from that album. The song is about racism in England and the anti-immigration feelings and racist abuse of asylum seekers fuelled by the tabloid press, particularly the Daily Mail. The song uses examples such as the lions on the English football team's shirts, Britannia and the English patron saint, St. George (from Lebanon), the hyphen in Anglo-Saxon and the nation's favourite dish (curry) to convey his message that everything about English culture is shaped and influenced by the waves of immigration that have taken place in the past.
The title is taken from England, Half English, a 1961 collection of essays and articles by Colin MacInnes, which includes a 1957 article called "Young England, Half English" about the influence of American pop music on English teenagers.
"Take Down The Union Jack", a song from the album that protests against the monarchy, Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee and argues for English and Scottish independence. It reached number 22 in the UK singles chart in May 2002.
All tracks composed by Billy Bragg; except where indicated
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