London Pride (song)

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"London Pride" is a song written and composed by Noel Coward.

1 Composition
2 Origin of the tune
3 Lyrics
4 Cover versions
5 External links

[edit] Composition

Coward wrote "London Pride" in the spring of 1941, during the Blitz. According to his own account, he was sitting on a seat on a platform of a damaged railway station in London, and was "overwhelmed by a wave of sentimental pride". The song started in his head there and then and was finished in a few days.

[edit] Origin of the tune

Coward acknowledged one of the traditional Cries of London ("Won't You Buy My Sweet-Smelling Lavender") as the starting-point for the tune, but he also pointed out the similarity with "Deutschland über alles", which he claimed was based on the same tune.

[edit] Lyrics

The song makes a connexion between the pride of Londoners in their city and the resilient flower London Pride, which can grow almost anywhere. During World War II, the flower sprang up in the ruins of bombed buildings in London.

[edit] Cover versions

Damon Albarn and Michael Nyman recorded the song in 1998 for the Twentieth-Century Blues: The Songs of Noel Coward tribute album.

[edit] External links

Text of the song, and source of Coward's reminiscence

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v • d • e Patriotic music of the United Kingdom

General	"Abide with Me" • "Crown Imperial March" • "Eternal Father, Strong to Save" • "Fantasia on British Sea Songs" • "God Save the Queen" • "Heart of Oak" • "Home! Sweet Home!" • "It's a Long Way to Tipperary" • "I Vow to Thee, My Country" • "See the Conquering Hero" • "Nimrod" • "Radio 4 UK Theme" • "Rule, Britannia!" • "Soldiers of the King" • "Song of Liberty" • "The British Grenadiers" • "The Saucy Arethusa" • "Zadok the Priest"

England	"Jerusalem" • "Land of Hope and Glory" • "London Pride" • "Rose of England" • "The Roast Beef of Old England" • "There'll Always Be an England"

Scotland	"Flower of Scotland" • "Highland Cathedral" • "Scotland the Brave" • "Scots Wha Hae" • "The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond"

Northern Ireland	"Londonderry Air"

Wales	"Cwm Rhondda" • "David of the White Rock" • "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" • "Men of Harlech"

County Songs	"Bro Goth Agan Tasow" (Cornwall) • "Come, all ye jolly Tinner boys" (Cornwall) • "Hail to the Homeland" (Cornwall) • "The Song of the Western Men" (Cornwall) • "On Ilkla Moor Baht 'at" (Yorkshire)