Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

John Agard

ALTERNATIVE ANTHEM

ALTERNATIVE ANTHEM

Put the kettle on
put the kettle on.
It is the British answer
to Armageddon. 

Never mind taxes rise
never mind trains are late,
one thing you can be sure of
and that's the kettle, mate. 

It's not whether you lose
It's not whether you win
It's whether or not
you've plugged the kettle in. 

May the kettle ever hiss
May the kettle ever steam
It is the engine
that drives our nation's dream. 

Long live the kettle
that rules over us.
May it be limescale free
and may it never rust.

Sing it on the beaches.
Sing it from the housetops.
The sun may set on empire
but the kettle never stops.

Close

ALTERNATIVE ANTHEM

Put the kettle on
put the kettle on.
It is the British answer
to Armageddon. 

Never mind taxes rise
never mind trains are late,
one thing you can be sure of
and that's the kettle, mate. 

It's not whether you lose
It's not whether you win
It's whether or not
you've plugged the kettle in. 

May the kettle ever hiss
May the kettle ever steam
It is the engine
that drives our nation's dream. 

Long live the kettle
that rules over us.
May it be limescale free
and may it never rust.

Sing it on the beaches.
Sing it from the housetops.
The sun may set on empire
but the kettle never stops.

ALTERNATIVE ANTHEM

Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère