British Subject

Many times in coversation I have stated that if I were to give up one of my passports (British or Canadian) I would not hesitate to drop the British one. I have never really been able to provide an adequate answer to this, and probably still can’t.

But, one of my formative bands was UB40 (Yes, I too wanted to be black when I was a kid) and thanks to the wonder of MP3’s and iTunes I am listening to all sorts of music that I haven’t heard in years. So, there I am, working away and along comes the song ‘Burden of Shame’. The lyrics go something like

There are murders that we must account for 
Bloody deeds have been done in  my name 
Criminal acts we must pay for 
And our children will shoulder the  blame I’m a British subject, not proud of it 
While I carry the burden of shame  (Repeat)

I must have been about 13 when I first heard those lyrics. Maybe they had an effect after all.