If You Tolerate This

A look at the classic anti-fascist anthem by Manic Street Preachers, and its continued relevance

The Manic Street Preachers: a band whose lyrics are always worth exploring. Image taken from here

If you tolerate this, then your children will be next.

Aside from holding the record as the longest song title without brackets, these are as foreboding a collection of words as you can imagine.

So at first glance it doesn’t seem destined to be a song that would help the band achieve their first UK number one and grow their cult following around the world. But then who really pays attention to song lyrics? Songs like ‘Every Breath You Take’ by The Police and ‘Hotel California’ by The Eagles are favourites often chosen for the first dance at weddings, and though bride and groom may know all the words you have to wonder if they’ve ever really paid attention to them (and maybe worry, if they have and still find them relevant).

So if you didn’t pay attention (or weren’t aware) the first time around, it’s perhaps more important that ever to remind ourselves of the anti-fascist sentiment behind the song.

A friend once declared it to be one of his favourites, so I excitedly began discussing everything I knew about its history —we’re both from the same area as the band. His response of ‘why have you got to spoil…