That is when I say, oh yes yet again, can you stop the cavalry?
December 6, 2016 5:45 AM Subscribe
It is the time of year when the voice of Jona Lewie, a musician since school and a composer and performer across several genre for over half a century, becomes frequently heard in shops and on radio. Stop the Cavalry is a single from 1980 (live: [1] [2] [3]); the arguably anti-war protest song was not originally intended to be a Christmas single, and was kept off the #1 UK chart spot by songs from the recently deceased John Lennon and the St Winifred's School Choir. The tune, often covered by brass bands, is more well-known in the USA through the cover by The Cory Band with The Gwalia Singers (also Gwalia Singers on own and background). However, Jona was successful before this...
On his long career to date Jona has backed artists as varied as Arthur Crudup and Gene Vincent and, as part of the Stiff Records tour, journeyed and played with Ian Dury and Lena Lovich, before that supporting Eric Clapton's Derek and the Dominoes. As an artist himself previous to Stop the Cavalry, Jona's other songs included (note Kirsty MacColl, who had her own career and Christmas hit, on backing vocals) You'll Always Find Me in the Kitchen at Parties. A cover would be used in an Ikea ad (several cameos by Jona); the song was developed from a concept by Keef Trouble.
Further back in 1972, Terry Dactyl and the Dinosaurs (Jona as composer, vocals and accordion) had a #2 hit with Seaside Shuffle which remains popular on the English folk circuit (live [1] [2] [3]) and is sometimes compared to or confused with the Mungo Jerry classic.
In a not-quite successful attempt to embrace the electro-pop music of the time, Jona had a #2 hit in Australia with Louise (We Get It Right) in 1981. Later that year, I Think I'll Get My Hair Cut reached #71 in the same country.
Other songs include Sexy Girls (Sick and Tired), and Big Shot ... Momentarily which reached #73 in Denmark. Hallelujah Europa also spawned an oddball video, and The Swan reminds of Seaside Shuffle. Finally, the Love Detonator video remains an enduring example of fun but culturally dodgy and very low budget early 1980s British productions.
Back to his most well-known song, and Jona being interviewed by Justin Lee Collins on Bring Back the Christmas Number One.
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Lyrics
Hey Mister Churchill, comes over here, to say we're doing splendidly,
But it's very cold out here in the snow, marching to and from the enemy
Oh I say it's tough, I have had enough, can you stop the cavalry?
I have had to fight, almost every night, down throughout the centuries
That is when I say, oh yes yet again, can you stop the cavalry?
Mary Bradley waits at home, in the nuclear fall-out zone.
Wish I could be dancing now in the arms of the girl I love.
Dub a dub a dum dum, dub a dub a dum.
Dub a dum dum dub a dum, dub a dub a dum.
Dub a dub a dum dum, dub a dub a dum.
Dub a dum dum dub a dub, dub a dub a dum.
Wish I was at home for Christmas.
Bang! That's another bomb on another town.
While the czar and Jim have tea.
If I get home, live to tell the tale, I'll run for all presidencies.
If I get elected I'll stop, I will stop the cavalry.
Dub a dub a dum dum, dub a dub a dum.
Dub a dum dum dub a dum, dub a dub a dum.
Dub a dub a dum dum, dub a dub a dum.
Dub a dum dum dub a dub, dub a dub a dum.
Wish I was at home for Christmas.
Wish I could be dancing now, in the arms of the girl I love.
Mary Bradley waits at home, she 's been waiting two years long.
Wish I was at home for Christmas.
+ + + + +
Jona is 70 next March, has a sociology degree, and still makes and performs music. He has apparently disconnected his front door bell.
On his long career to date Jona has backed artists as varied as Arthur Crudup and Gene Vincent and, as part of the Stiff Records tour, journeyed and played with Ian Dury and Lena Lovich, before that supporting Eric Clapton's Derek and the Dominoes. As an artist himself previous to Stop the Cavalry, Jona's other songs included (note Kirsty MacColl, who had her own career and Christmas hit, on backing vocals) You'll Always Find Me in the Kitchen at Parties. A cover would be used in an Ikea ad (several cameos by Jona); the song was developed from a concept by Keef Trouble.
Further back in 1972, Terry Dactyl and the Dinosaurs (Jona as composer, vocals and accordion) had a #2 hit with Seaside Shuffle which remains popular on the English folk circuit (live [1] [2] [3]) and is sometimes compared to or confused with the Mungo Jerry classic.
In a not-quite successful attempt to embrace the electro-pop music of the time, Jona had a #2 hit in Australia with Louise (We Get It Right) in 1981. Later that year, I Think I'll Get My Hair Cut reached #71 in the same country.
Other songs include Sexy Girls (Sick and Tired), and Big Shot ... Momentarily which reached #73 in Denmark. Hallelujah Europa also spawned an oddball video, and The Swan reminds of Seaside Shuffle. Finally, the Love Detonator video remains an enduring example of fun but culturally dodgy and very low budget early 1980s British productions.
Back to his most well-known song, and Jona being interviewed by Justin Lee Collins on Bring Back the Christmas Number One.
+ + + + +
Lyrics
Hey Mister Churchill, comes over here, to say we're doing splendidly,
But it's very cold out here in the snow, marching to and from the enemy
Oh I say it's tough, I have had enough, can you stop the cavalry?
I have had to fight, almost every night, down throughout the centuries
That is when I say, oh yes yet again, can you stop the cavalry?
Mary Bradley waits at home, in the nuclear fall-out zone.
Wish I could be dancing now in the arms of the girl I love.
Dub a dub a dum dum, dub a dub a dum.
Dub a dum dum dub a dum, dub a dub a dum.
Dub a dub a dum dum, dub a dub a dum.
Dub a dum dum dub a dub, dub a dub a dum.
Wish I was at home for Christmas.
Bang! That's another bomb on another town.
While the czar and Jim have tea.
If I get home, live to tell the tale, I'll run for all presidencies.
If I get elected I'll stop, I will stop the cavalry.
Dub a dub a dum dum, dub a dub a dum.
Dub a dum dum dub a dum, dub a dub a dum.
Dub a dub a dum dum, dub a dub a dum.
Dub a dum dum dub a dub, dub a dub a dum.
Wish I was at home for Christmas.
Wish I could be dancing now, in the arms of the girl I love.
Mary Bradley waits at home, she 's been waiting two years long.
Wish I was at home for Christmas.
+ + + + +
Jona is 70 next March, has a sociology degree, and still makes and performs music. He has apparently disconnected his front door bell.
This is, and has always been, my absolute favourite Christmas song. I don't know if it's the melancholy air, the bells, the snare drums (I love me a snare), the general rum-pum-puminess of it, or that I first heard it age 4 and it got imprinted on my impressionable mind. I don't care, I just love it.
posted by billiebee at 5:58 AM on December 6, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by billiebee at 5:58 AM on December 6, 2016 [5 favorites]
Listen to Little Drummer Boy by Bing Crosby & David Bowie for Christmas rum-pum overload.
posted by GallonOfAlan at 6:00 AM on December 6, 2016
posted by GallonOfAlan at 6:00 AM on December 6, 2016
Missed out of the post: Stop the Cavalry won the Ivor Novello award for that year in the category of Best Pop Song.
posted by Wordshore at 6:05 AM on December 6, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Wordshore at 6:05 AM on December 6, 2016 [2 favorites]
Stop the Cavalry? I think you mean the theme from Wizbit.
posted by oliverburkeman at 6:12 AM on December 6, 2016 [6 favorites]
posted by oliverburkeman at 6:12 AM on December 6, 2016 [6 favorites]
oh God oliverburkeman I don't have the words to say how much that comment made me laugh and I opened the link even though I already knew what you meant just because Wizbit and marry me
posted by billiebee at 6:19 AM on December 6, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by billiebee at 6:19 AM on December 6, 2016 [4 favorites]
Excellent, super-comprehensive post Wordshore. I mentioned on here the other day that I dragged my sister to see him live at a tiny gig two years ago supported only by his nephew/grandson(?) on drums. An accordion featured mid-set. It really was a great evening, Jona's still got the same voice/delivery and mainly played his songs on keyboard. He also chatted between songs about the music business (without rancour) and his outlook on life, plus he half-apologised to any UKIP voters before playing Hallelujah Europa anyway.
On the song itself, I love that line "I'll run for all presidencies". All of them, yes! Stop that cavalry for good.
posted by comealongpole at 6:23 AM on December 6, 2016 [2 favorites]
On the song itself, I love that line "I'll run for all presidencies". All of them, yes! Stop that cavalry for good.
posted by comealongpole at 6:23 AM on December 6, 2016 [2 favorites]
(“Lene Lovich”, surely...)
posted by acb at 6:34 AM on December 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by acb at 6:34 AM on December 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
There's something fundamentally bonkers about the way my (at least!) brain works: it can remember almost the entire lyrics of the brilliant "Louise" 30 years after I last heard it, but fails miserably in the quest to dredge up what "noch" means in German pretty much every effing time I encounter that word. Grr, grrrrumble... yeah, yeah:
Es ist noch kein Meister vom Himmel gefallen
posted by pjm at 6:35 AM on December 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
Es ist noch kein Meister vom Himmel gefallen
posted by pjm at 6:35 AM on December 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
Huh. Casting around - the career of Jona Lewie reveals endless rabbit holes and it may be easier to draw up a list of artists he isn't connected to in some way - here's an interesting angle on the similarity between Seaside Shuffle and In The Summertime.
posted by Wordshore at 7:55 AM on December 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Wordshore at 7:55 AM on December 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
Man, Brits are hardcore about Christmas, eh? "Mummy, can we put on that song about the bloke what got killed?"
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 8:22 AM on December 6, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 8:22 AM on December 6, 2016 [2 favorites]
Check out the lyrics to 'I believe in Father Christmas' by Greg Lake sometime, Johnny Wallflower. Very Christmassy.
posted by YAMWAK at 8:38 AM on December 6, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by YAMWAK at 8:38 AM on December 6, 2016 [2 favorites]
Man, Brits are hardcore about Christmas, eh? "Mummy, can we put on that song about the bloke what got killed?"
I know, seriously.
Jesus.
posted by madajb at 8:44 AM on December 6, 2016 [6 favorites]
I know, seriously.
Jesus.
posted by madajb at 8:44 AM on December 6, 2016 [6 favorites]
Check out the lyrics to 'I believe in Father Christmas' by Greg Lake sometime, Johnny Wallflower. Very Christmassy.
albeit with a pretty severe Randian twist at the end.
"Hallelujah Noel, be it heaven or hell, the Christmas we get we deserve."
(suck on that, poor people)
posted by philip-random at 8:57 AM on December 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
albeit with a pretty severe Randian twist at the end.
"Hallelujah Noel, be it heaven or hell, the Christmas we get we deserve."
(suck on that, poor people)
posted by philip-random at 8:57 AM on December 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
Eh - I think Lake is more implying that the wishful thinking about Peace on Earth, white Christmas, all being well, and so on are all lies. There is no Christmas miracle on any street, but if we're brave, hopeful, and keep our hearts clear then maybe we can have a good Christmas anyway. It's not about the presents.
At least, I prefer that (probably delusional) reading.
Sorry about the side-track. I love Stop the Cavalry, although I've never really claimed to fully understand it, and I shall pursue the links more carefully when I'm not at work.
posted by YAMWAK at 9:20 AM on December 6, 2016 [2 favorites]
At least, I prefer that (probably delusional) reading.
Sorry about the side-track. I love Stop the Cavalry, although I've never really claimed to fully understand it, and I shall pursue the links more carefully when I'm not at work.
posted by YAMWAK at 9:20 AM on December 6, 2016 [2 favorites]
You want an anti-war protest song that mentions Christmas? Don't pass by the great Paul Brady's Arthur McBride.
posted by Miko at 11:03 AM on December 6, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by Miko at 11:03 AM on December 6, 2016 [3 favorites]
Young threeze was known to march around the sofa to this ad infinitum. Some say you can still hear the slap of his salute to this day.
posted by threeze at 3:23 PM on December 6, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by threeze at 3:23 PM on December 6, 2016 [3 favorites]
In the Seattle area during the 80s and 90s the Cory Band version was played every Christmas by super DJ Larry Nelson on KOMO radio. We never knew where to get it because he never announced the artist, but it meant Christmas during the first decade or so of my marriage.
posted by lhauser at 7:15 PM on December 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by lhauser at 7:15 PM on December 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
I love Jona and I'm always in the kitchen at parties.
posted by james33 at 7:29 AM on December 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by james33 at 7:29 AM on December 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
Listen to Little Drummer Boy yt by Bing Crosby & David Bowie for Christmas rum-pum overload.
I still can't hear that without substituting Prince Buster's lyrics.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 8:33 AM on December 7, 2016
I still can't hear that without substituting Prince Buster's lyrics.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 8:33 AM on December 7, 2016
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posted by GallonOfAlan at 5:57 AM on December 6, 2016 [5 favorites]