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about

Oh, this is a bunch of fun to sing. It's two fingers up to bullies everywhere, political, corporate, or otherwise. You know that British thing of not speaking out because we don't like to make a fuss?

Stop it. Stop it now.

While you're not making a fuss, someone is getting stepped on, hard. If you see it, name it for what it is. Don't allow it to become normalised. It isn't acceptable, not in school, in college, at church, at work, at home or in politics.

Yes, it's scary. But if you keep quiet now, guess what? Nobody's going to speak up when you're under the cosh.

Learn to be brave together. And let's bell that cat.

lyrics

BELLING THE CAT


Smart little mice know their enemy’s name
They don’t let the cat set the rules of the game
It’s the predator’s downfall, the old story goes
When the bravest mice bell him so everymouse knows.

Everymouse knows, everymouse knows
Let the bravest mice bell him so everymouse knows.

Now I wouldn’t do the things some people do
I wouldn’t say that and neither would you
This is malice aforethought, I’m certain of that
And to know it and name it’s just belling the cat.

Belling the cat, belling the cat
And to know it and name it’s just belling the cat.
Till everymouse knows, everymouse knows
Let the bravest mice bell him so everymouse knows.

Reasonable people do reasonable things
Courtesy merits what courtesy brings
But it’s not universal, so heed my advice
There are people prepared to be not very nice.

Not very nice, not very nice
There are people prepared to be not very nice.
So we’re belling the cat, belling the cat
And to know it and name it’s just belling the cat.
Till everymouse knows, everymouse knows
Let the bravest mice bell him so everymouse knows.

‘I don’t think he meant that’ ‘We must have misheard’
‘I expect he’ll behave if I have a quiet word’
‘It’ll sort itself out’ ‘Shall we see how things go?’
I say ‘That’s enough chances, let’s stand and say ‘NO’.’

Stand and say no, stand and say no
I say ‘That’s enough chances, let’s stand and say ‘NO’.’
Not very nice, not very nice
There are people prepared to be not very nice.
So we’re belling the cat, belling the cat
And to know it and name it’s just belling the cat.
Till everymouse knows, everymouse knows
Let the bravest mice bell him so everymouse knows.

Everymouse knows, oh! Everymouse knows...
Shh!
Let the bravest mice bell him so everymouse knows!



Words & music by & © Talis Kimberley 16th December 2011

credits

from FREE ALBUM: Songs of Common Ground, track released February 29, 2012
Guitar and vocal: Talis Kimberley, with the little Tascam, in the studio.

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Talis Kimberley UK

"I'm a songwriter and singer; my songs are spun from folklore and history, stirred well with a hazel wand and served with cake. I'll sing you ravens and bones and the story behind the story, I'll sing you bread and apples, ghosts and knitting, and bring you home with a pocketful of feathers and hope"

Voice / guitar / English concertina

Festivals, folk clubs, libraries, museums, & protests...
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