Lily Allen has said the country should stop singing the traditional anthem “Rule, Britannia!” because of its problematic lyrics.
Writing “Sorry, what?” on her Instagram story, the singer singled out the following lyrics: “Britons never, never, never shall be slaves. The nations, not so blest as thee, must in their turn, to tyrants fall, while thou shalt flourish, shalt flourish great and free, the dread and envy of them all.”
After the anthem featured in many of the Remembrance Day services last weekend, Allen wrote: “I think we should not sing this song anymore.”
Allen’s comments sparked a backlash on social media, with one Instagram user writing: “You should respect the fallen, who gave you the chance to sing and make a career.”
In response, Allen called the widespread criticism “pretty pathetic”, adding: “Anyway, I don’t really give a s***, that song is jank and should go in the bin. Besides men and women died for our right to express our opinions soooo…”
“Rule, Britannia!” is a patriotic song written in 1740, originating from a poem by James Thomson.
