Flagbearers
Flagbearers of Belonging: A Melody for Wanderers
Lyrics
I'm a stranger here myself
Feeling unfamiliar or out of place in the current surroundings or situation
Washed up on the shore many centuries before
Arrived at this place a long time ago and have remained since then
Just a mongrel like yourself: part gypsy, part hun
Describing a mixed heritage, having different ancestral backgrounds
An itinerant son from God knows where
A wanderer, moving from place to place without a fixed origin
We are all of us strangers
Expressing the shared experience of feeling like strangers in certain situations
Sometimes my bed is somewhere else
At times, the speaker sleeps in different locations away from their usual place of rest
Asleep on the floor of a distant shore
Resting in a faraway place, possibly distant from home or the familiar
Where though there may be nothing on the shelf
Despite a lack of resources or possessions, being accepted or greeted warmly
I'm welcomed despite the disgrace of my forefathers
Being accepted despite the shameful actions or history of ancestors
Welcomed despite the behaviour of flag-bearers
Accepted despite the conduct or behavior of those who carry flags/symbols of identity
The rose, the thistle, the shamrock, the daffodil
Mentioning symbols of different nations (England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales)
Borne on the wind across mountain and ocean
These symbols are carried by the wind, reaching various places
Until self-seeding randomly, thriving untended
They grow and flourish naturally without deliberate cultivation or care
Native by accident, falling where happenstance falls
Describing the accidental or random nature of where these symbols thrive
We are all of us strangers
Reiterating the shared experience of feeling like strangers in various circumstances
Ours is a green and pleasant land
Describing the country as pleasant and fertile, built through hard labor
Built on rich fertile soil and physical toil
Referring to the physical effort put into making the land prosperous
But I see no blisters on your hands
Questioning the claimed identity of being English without visible evidence of hard work
Yet you call yourself English, well bully for you
Questioning the authenticity of claiming English identity without tangible proof
Is that a medal of honour or a badly drawn bulldog tattoo?
Asking whether the English identity is a source of pride or merely superficial
The rose, the thistle, the shamrock, the daffodil
Repetition of national symbols carried by the wind
Borne on the wind across mountain and ocean
Continuation of how these symbols spread and grow naturally
Until self-seeding randomly, thriving untended
Emphasizing the self-sustaining nature of these symbols without deliberate care
Native by accident, falling where happenstance falls
Reiterating the accidental nature of where these symbols take root and thrive
We are all of us strangers
Re-emphasizing the shared feeling of being strangers in various contexts
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