on a hot July the Fourth

[calimac]

At the backyard party and picnic I usually attend on the Fourth, I met an evolutionary psychologist, one of that tiresome breed of people who use the term "ape brain" a lot, and attribute every aspect of human behavior to our species' upbringing on the savanna. Look at the yard around us, he said. There's a lawn behind the house, while all the trees are clustered up away from the house, against the back fence. This, he said, is because of our deep instinctual need to have our homes surrounded by the savanna, away from the forest.

I suggested that it's also due to our deep instinctual need to follow the fire code regulations.

Got home in time to watch the TV broadcast of the fireworks shows highlights from around the area, from the comfort of our couch. It appears that if I'd gone as far as Marin, I'd have seen a show particularly worth seeing. B. and I sang every other set of words we could think of to the patriotic band tunes that occupied the sound broadcast:

"To Anacreon in Heaven
Where he sat in full glee ..."

"Glory, Glory Harry Lewis
His cloth goes shining on."

"... Send him victorious
Happy and glorious
Long to reign over us
God save the king."

Comments

[desperance.livejournal.com]

This, he said, is because of our deep instinctual need to have our homes surrounded by the savanna, away from the forest.

There is a Peanuts cartoon I have never forgotten, where Lucy is critiquing a piece of art that Charlie Brown has drawn; and she says, "I note that you have drawn this figure with his hands behind his back. This is because you yourself have feelings of deep insecurity," yadda yadda; to which he replies, "No, this is because I myself can't draw hands."

[kalimac.livejournal.com]

A small child drew a picture in class using only the black crayon. Rushed to the psychiatrist, where it eventually emerged that, by the time he got to the crayon box, all the other colors were gone.

[whswhs.livejournal.com]

I always think of T. H. White's

God save King Pendragon,
Long may his reign drag on.
God save our king!

[kalimac.livejournal.com]

I should have thought of that. I should also have thought of the one my mother learned at summer camp in the 1930s:

King George he had a date
He was out very late
He was the king.
Queen Mary paced the floor
King George came in at four
She met him at the door ...
God save the king!

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

Rule Brittania, two tanners make a bob
King George never, never, never shaves his...............

[kalimac.livejournal.com]

That tune, though a good one (Arne is an underrated composer), has never been appropriated for a US patriotic song, so it didn't come up.

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

Ah! Dr Thomas Augustine Arne! I'd certainly agree that he is much underrated.

Sadly, the tune to our national anthem is an appalling dirge although the second verse is fun:

'O Lord our God arise,

Scatter his/her enemies

And make them fall;

Confound their politics,

Frustrate their knavish tricks,

On Thee our hopes we fix,

God save us all!'

There are six in all and as you can imagine my (Scottish) husband just loves the last one!

'Lord grant that Marshal Wade

May by thy mighty aid

Victory bring.

May he sedition hush,

And like a torrent rush,

Rebellious Scots to crush.

God save the [monarchical gender of choice]!'