When Britain's first female prime minister Margaret Thatcher died Monday from a stroke, her death seemed more a political story than a cultural one. But that wasn't really the case. Sure, there was a lot of discussion about Meryl Streep winning an Oscar for portraying her in The Iron Lady, but more importantly, Thatcher inspired more song lyrics than any prime minister before or since.
Though I am not a historian of Parliamentary politics, I have not found anything in Thatcher's obituary as despicable as Tony Blair leading his country into a war on false pretenses or Neville Chamberlain appeasing to Hitler, but she certainly brought out more vitriol than either of those miscreants. She was the punching bag of Britain's punk rock and post-punk scene (see: Morrissey's super sweet reaction to the news of her passing). Maybe it was because of misogyny, mommy issues, or those days just being more political. Either way, here's a look at the top five nastiest songs written about Margaret Thatcher.
5. "Margaret Stand Down" - English Beat
While I would have liked to put Rod Stewart's "Maggie May" on here, there is no definitive proof that Margaret Thatcher was the older woman giving Rod Stewart's heart such trouble.
This song doesn't get personal or passionate against Margaret. It merely rocks steady about how the world would be a better place without her in power.
4. "How Does It Feel To Be the Mother of A Thousand Dead" - Crass
Punk rock slander at its messiest in an angrier song than anything George W. Bush or Tony Blair inspired with many, many more than a thousand dead on their shoulders.
3. "Tramp the Dirt Down" - Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello reminisces: "When England was the whore of the world/Margaret was her madam"
2. "Maggie" - The Exploited
This hardcore track blurs the line between political free speech and just being plain mean.
1. "Margaret on the Guillotine" - Morrissey
I'll let the lyrics speak for themselves on this day Morrissey longed for...
The kind peopleHave a wonderful dreamMargaret on the guillotineCause people like youMake me feel so tiredWhen will you die ?When will you die ?When will you die ?When will you die ?When will you die ?And people like youMake me feel so old insidePlease die
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