England, Half-English

England, Half-English
Studio album by
Billy Bragg and the Blokes
Released4 March 2002
RecordedJune 2001
StudioMonnow Valley Studio, Rockfield, Wales; Street Level, London; Roundhouse Studios, London
GenreRock
Length42:58
Label
ProducerGrant Showbiz
Billy Bragg and the Blokes chronology
Mermaid Avenue Vol. II
(2000)
England, Half-English
(2002)
Must I Paint You a Picture? The Essential Billy Bragg
(2003)
Singles from England, Half-English
  1. "England, Half English" / "St. Monday"
    Released: 18 February 2002
  2. "Take Down the Union Jack"
    Released: 20 May 2002
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic(64/100)
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic
The Austin Chronicle
Entertainment WeeklyB−
Los Angeles Times
Neumu.net
NME(5/10)
Playlouder
Robert Christgau
Rolling Stone
Spin(7/10)
Stylus MagazineF
Uncut
Yahoo! Music UK

England, Half-English is a 2002 album by English political singer-songwriter Billy Bragg and the Blokes.

The title track is about racism in England and the anti-immigration feelings and racist abuse of asylum seekers fuelled by the tabloid press, particularly the Daily Mail. The song uses examples such as the lions on the English football team's shirts, Britannia and the English patron saint, St. George (from Lebanon), the hyphen in Anglo-Saxon and the nation's favourite dish (curry) to convey his message that everything about English culture is shaped and influenced by the waves of immigration that have taken place in the past.

The title is taken from England, Half English, a 1961 collection of essays and articles by Colin MacInnes, which includes a 1957 article called "Young England, Half English" about the influence of American pop music on English teenagers.

The album peaked at number 51 on the UK Albums Chart in March 2002. Its first single, the double A-side "England, Half English" / "St. Monday", reached number 98 on the UK singles chart the same month. "Take Down the Union Jack", a song from the album that protests against the monarchy, Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee and argues for English and Scottish independence, reached number 22 in the UK Singles Chart in May 2002.