Intertextualité #1

Intertextualité is the wanky title that I’m giving to a series of posts about songs that reference other stuff. To start things off I’d like to point out that Richard Ashcroft loves a bit of William Blake. And it didn’t start with Love Is Noise; he was also doing it way back in 1995 on a track called History.

The Verve - History (mp3)

London

I wander through each chartered street
Near where the chartered Thames does flow,
And mark in every face I meet
Marks of weakness, marks of woe.

In every cry of every Man,
In every Infant’s cry of fear,
In every voice, in every ban,
The mind-forged manacles I hear.

How the Chimney-sweeper’s cry
Every black’ning church appalls,
And the hapless Soldier’s sigh
Runs in blood down Palace walls.

But most through midnight streets I hear
How the youthful Harlot’s curse
Blasts the new born Infant’s tear;
And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse.

The Verve - Love Is Noise (mp3)

from Milton

And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England’s mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?

And did the countenance divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among these dark Satanic mills?

Bring me my bow of burning gold!
Bring me my arrows of desire!
Bring me my spear - o clouds unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire!

I will not cease from mental fight
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand,
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England’s green and pleasant land.