In the run-up to London 2012, UK consumers are going to hear more and more about Olympic pins, and the trading thereof. This cranked up another notch this week with the launch by LOCOG of ‘Landmark London’ pin badges, featuring iconic locations in each London borough, such as the Lambeth London 2012 pin featuring the London Eye below. They go on sale later this month and you can see them all here.
With London 2012 in mind, this led me to consider what else captured the unique geography and zeitgeist of London, and what immediately sprang to mind was Ian Dury‘s brilliant rendition of ‘The Bus Driver’s Prayer’. Being of a certain vintage, I was lucky enough to see Dury perform it several times live, but as I expect most of you will be unfamiliar with it, it’s the Lord’s Prayer as - perhaps – recited by a London Bus Driver, and it goes like this:
Our Father, who art in Hendon, Harrow Road be thy name. Thy Kingston come, thy Wimbledon, in Erith as it is in Hendon. Give us this day, our Berkhamsted, and forgive us our Westminsters, as we forgive those that Westminster against us. Lead us not into Temple Station, and deliver us from Ealing, for thine is the Kingston, the Purley and Crawley, for Iver and Iver, Crouch End.
It would be nice to think that it could be worked into London 2012 in some way: as part of an ‘Essential London’ album perhaps – or maybe in the Opening Ceremony? After all, a London bus famously featured in London 2012′s section of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Closing Ceremony…
By Tim Crow on March 11th, 2010
Tags: Beijing 2008, Default, London 2012, Music, Olympics
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The double-decker red bus transforming into a privet hedge (as happens every day in W1…?) remains the most memorable element of London’s handover during the Beijing Olympics Closing Ceremony. Not sure that is wholly a good thing but still…
An Essential London 2012 album is a must.
A whole lot of tunes competing to appear on it, my personal favourites would include ‘A Rainy Night in Soho’ (the Pogues), Abba’s ‘Waterloo’, The Clash’s ‘London Calling’ and ‘Violet Hill’ by Coldplay (Violet Hill is a small street between Maida Vale & Abbey Road in St John’s Hill).
Got to say Ian Dury’s version of the Lord’s Prayer would be somewhat preferable to LOCOG opting to commission Cliff Richard’s dubious 1999 version. It may have been in the name of charity but still, some acts remain unforgiveable.
Dury all the way. Rock & roll. No contest.