To Globalize or not to Globalize
It’s all in how you do it.
Hi all,
Thank you for joining me for this week’s song, Globalisation, written by Richard Whistance, performed by Seize The Day.
If you’d like to hear the song before you read the background, I’ve included a YouTube video below the article.
Below, you’ll find my interpretation of the lyrics (written in italics). As with most everything, there are many ways to interpret things. Comments and questions are welcome. Please be respectful of others’ opinions if they should differ from yours.
For Japanese students, vocabulary words in bold are provided in Japanese below.
The Song
(780 words)
This song is an anti-globalization song. You can read more about globalization here. The lyrics are filled with irony. We will keep this in mind as we look at the lyrics.
The media sometimes reports on how the major changes in global weather and temperature are not related to a climate crisis caused by burning fossil fuels. The ozone layer is not in danger.
If you’re under water one morning, don’t blame it on global warming
The hole in the sky is just a lie... icebergs are actually forming!
Oil companies promote oil products as being good for the environment, and they indirectly influence (through lobbying) what is taught in school curriculums: Pumping oil is green, that’s how we want it seen So, I’ve changed my rules, to teach your schools a corporate American dream
Chorus:
Globalisation, it’s a pirate’s life for me Pirates used to attack ships and steal their gold for a profit.
We’re fighting over each other for your dependency
Dependency refers to our dependency on oil to run the global economy.
And as long as you go to war, whenever we want you to
You’ll have a tank full of petrol (gasoline) every morning
The war in Iraq was considered to be a war about who controls Iraq’s oil and the price of oil.
I say I say I say, “How many Indonesians does it take to make a pair of trainers (sneakers)?” “Who cares?” Here, the lyrics refer to an aspect of globalization called sweatshop labor. Companies don’t care about the workers as long as they are making a profit.
Companies build factories in countries that have low wages and tax systems:
Now the workers of the western world are such a fussy bunch
Demanding such conditions as holiday, pay and lunch
So, the strategy I plotted to foil the workers’ plan
Is to close down all the factories here and build them in Taiwan
Free trade is when countries agree to exchange goods without adding extra taxes or limits. This helps people buy and sell things more easily across borders, making products from different places available and affordable. It’s like a fair trading game where everyone can win. It also causes more competition for corporations, but if companies put goods on sale, the goods will be cheaper than fair trade goods.
“Free trade on the horizon captain!”
“Foist the sales!!”
“The fore sails or January sales?”
“It’s ALL for sale!!!”
(“Foist the sails” is an expression in sailing that mean put the sails up on the ship, the fore sail - in front, or the aft sails - in back.)
The next verse shows how we are dependent on oil and the lorries (= trucks) that transport our food. Once again, the oil companies make a profit.
Convenience is 8 till late, we’ve salad all year round
The lorries come from Africa with lettuce by the pound
The pipeline feeds the lorry, and the lettuce feeds your health
And everyone is happy as I globalise myself
(Chorus)
“Global warming ahoy!” (Look out for global warming!)
“Roll out the cannons!”
“We sold the cannons.”
“Who to?”
“Who cares, we made a killing!” (“Make a killing” means to make a lot of money from a sale.)
The next verse talks about the issue of GM (genetically modified) food which can be grown more cheaply but makes more profits for companies that produce the seeds and chemicals to stop pests. Because people want to buy cheaper products, local farmers will have trouble competing with imported food.
Now everyone has to eat and food has got to be cheap
The future of food is GM crops from Asia
Your local farmer may be hanging, but that won’t stop me banging
On about how Globalisation’s good for me
…Your local farmer may be hanging but that won’t stop me banging
On about how Globalisation’s good for me
We’re the brokers and the dealers, the planetary peelers (companies that take natural resources to make a profit)
The apple of our triangular eye (refers to the pirate’s eye patch?)
The fate of planets lie before us
Don’t think you can ignore us, just, join in with my Chorus or you’ll die
(Chorus)
A final word… Yes, there are many aspects of globalization that are beneficial. In a sense, because of globalization, the world has become much smaller. We are able to understand each other a little better. Now, if we can work together to support the local farmer and fair trade, and not purchase things we don’t really need, we might be able to make a difference in the future of the planet.
After all, there are more people on the planet than pirates.
Questions we can discuss in the comments section:
• Do you think globalization is a good thing or a bad thing or…. somewhere in between?
• Who benefits from globalization? Does anyone lose?
• Your question…
• (What did you think of the song?)
VOCABULARY
irony 皮肉
fossil fuels 化石燃料
iceberg 氷山
indirectly 間接的に
influence 影響する
lobbying ロビー活動
dependency 依存
sweatshop labor 搾取工場労働
low wage 低賃金
such a fussy bunch うるさい連中
foil 成功を阻む
exchange 交換
affordable 手頃な価格
genetically modified 遺伝子組み換え
banging on: in informal British English, it means to talk a lot about something in a boring way (to talk a lot about something in a boring way)
fate 運命
beneficial 有益