The World Turned Upside Down

El día que los patos les disparamos a las escopetas.

La primera de estas canciones fue escrita poco después de que Cromwell ganára la batalla de Naseby y los perdedores temían que hasta la navidad les iban a quitar:

The World Turned Upside Down

To the Tune of, When the King enioys his own again.

Listen to me and you shall hear, news hath not been this thousand year: Since Herod, Caesar, and many more, you never heard the like before. Holy-dayes are despis'd, new fashions are devis'd. Old Christmas is kickt out of Town. Yet let's be content, and the times lament, you see the world turn'd upside down. The wise men did rejoyce to see our Savior Christs Nativity: The Angels did good tidings bring, the Sheepheards did rejoyce and sing. Let all honest men, take example by them. Why should we from good Laws be bound? Yet let's be content, &c. Command is given, we must obey, and quite forget old Christmas day: Kill a thousand men, or a Town regain, we will give thanks and praise amain. The wine pot shall clinke, we will feast and drinke. And then strange motions will abound. Yet let's be content, &c. Our Lords and Knights, and Gentry too, doe mean old fashions to forgoe: They set a porter at the gate, that none must enter in thereat. They count it a sin, when poor people come in. Hospitality it selfe is drown'd. Yet let's be content, &c.
The serving men doe sit and whine, and thinke it long ere dinner time: The Butler's still out of the way, or else my Lady keeps the key, The poor old cook, in the larder doth look, Where is no goodnesse to be found, Yet let's be content, &c. To conclude, I'le tell you news that's right, Christmas was kil'd at Naseby fight: Charity was slain at that same time, Jack Tell troth too, a friend of mine, Likewise then did die, rost beef and shred pie, Pig, Goose and Capon no quarter found. Yet let's be content, and the times lament, you see the world turn'd upside down.

Existe controversia sobre el origen de la canción y se alega que el nombre fue agregado recientemente. Esta es otra versión mas corta (sólo tiene un verso) y mas de mi gusto.

If buttercups buzz'd after the bee,
If boats were on land, churches on sea,
If ponies rode men and if grass ate the cows,
And cats should be chased into holes by the mouse,
If the mamas sold their babies
To the gypsies for half a crown;
If summer were spring and the other way round,
Then all the world would be upside down.

Esta última me recordó a un poema de José Agustín Goytisolo , que canta Paco Ibañez.

Érase, una vez,
un lobito bueno,
al que maltrataban
todos los corderos,

y había, también,
un príncipe malo,
una bruja hermosa
y un ladrón honrado.

Todas estas cosas
había, una vez.
Cuando yo soñaba
un mundo al revés.

No podía dejar afuera la canción compuesta por Leon Rosselson, World Turned Upside Down que habla sobre un movimiento de campesinos sin tierra en la Inglaterra post Cromwelliana donde reclaman que ya que la guerra civil de alrdedos de 1640, se lucho no sólo contra el rey sino contra los terratenientes. Los Diggers se asentaron en St. George's Hill, Surrey y empezaron a cultivar la tierra en una época donde los precios del alimento eran muy elevados. Al haber renunciado a la violencia y envueltos en las disputas por las tierras que ocuparon, abandonaron el lugar en 1650.

World Turned Upside Down (Diggers)
(Leon Rosselson)

In 1649
To St George's Hill
A ragged band they called the Diggers
Came to show the people' s will
They defied the landlords
They defied the laws
They were the dispossessed
Reclaiming what was theirs

We come in peace, they said
To dig and sow
We come to work the land in common
And to make the waste land grow
This earth divided
We will make whole
So it can be
A common treasury for all.

The sin of property
We do disdain
No one has any right to buy and sell
The earth for private gain
By theft and murder
They took the land
Now everywhere the walls
Rise up at their command.

They make the laws
To chain us well
The clergy dazzle us with heaven
Or they damn us into hell
We will not worship
The God they serve
The God of greed who feeds the rich
While poor men starve

We work, we eat together
We need no swords
We will not bow to masters
Or pay rent to the lords
We are free men
Though we are poor
You Diggers all stand up for glory

Stand up now
From the men of property
The orders came
They sent the hired men and troopers
To wipe out the Diggers' claim
Tear down their cottages
Destroy their corn
They were dispersed -
Only the vision lingers on

You poor take courage
You rich take care
The earth was made a common treasury
For everyone to share
All things in common
All people one
We come in peace
The order came to cut them down