The Great Piratical Rumbustification: April 2007

Sing a song of sixpence, a pocketful of rye,

Four and twenty blackbirds, baked in a pie,

When the pie was open the birds began to sing,

Wasn't that a dainty dish to set before the king.

Now that excerpt is from a nusery rhyme that I was and still am particularly fond of. Until this day I had not fully understood, nor half understood, or even twelfth understood the meaning of it. However I now know that the poem was not intended to be taken literally, or metaphorically but a new style of deconstructing poetry I like to call representingly. Representingly I hear you say (well half of you that is the other half I can hear furiously clicking the cross in the top right corner of the screen like an iambic pentameter - a little poetry humour there people). Representingly refers to the home truths delivered by each piece of the nursery rhyme.

For starters, sing a song of sixpence, hmm, could be one of two things, the obvious being the smallest unit of English currency, the pence, but I like to delve a little deeper. I think it refers to how one cries out almost in song when finding out exactly how many pence you get for an Australian dollar. This 'pirate' in particluar will certainly be singing for his supper.

Secondly the blackbirds in the pie, well it may refer to England's insane notion of filling the utmost delightful of foods, the meat pie with all kinds of other animal parts that sound a little less inviting ie. kidneys, livers and tongue. But that would be too simple dear readers. If we delve a little deeper into the historical significance of the blackbird, the old wives tale that London tower will come crumbling down when the ravens or 'blackbirds' fly away surfaces. But I would like to think that the most significant part of the line is the four and twenty which refers to our great Australian meat pie itself, which shits on any pie here. Which one is right, I'll let you be the judge.

Lastly, wasn't that a dainty dish to set before the king. Now, we all know the monarchy here in England is a tad on the strange side. I mean Prince Charles of course got in on with Camilla over Diana, proof enough? But a bird eating king? Fear not, I will cast aside confusion for you and unveil the truth. We all know the tale of King Henry VIII. Six wives, at last count and thats not including reincarnation (I can't forget my hindu readers now can I?). And we all are well aware what Englishmen refer to women as...birds. A bird eating king isn't that hard to fathom now is it.

And so ends the lesson. We will be deconstructing 'London Bridge is Falling Down' next week, and believe you me, its not about falling bridges. Thankyou.