I had originally planned to use this as yet another song inspired by my niece, but thought that if I did that I’ll end up pigeonholing myself into only covering songs from films that she likes – certainly not a bad thing, but it does limit the scope of this feature somewhat.
So, to go in completely the opposite direction, I have chosen a song from one of my all time favourite films – Monty Python’s Life of Brian. The film is no stranger to controversy, having been banned in several locations and subsequently wasn’t first aired on UK television until 1991, some 12 years after its cinema release.
But taken in isolation, it’s a song that delights in the madness that is living and dying, telling the listener that death is inevitable, that life may not always work out as you expect, but after all of that we have to make the most of the time that we’re given.
In the context of the film, it’s all the more amusing given that it’s a classic musical number being performed by a group of people all being crucified. If you don’t laugh at the juxtaposition of the song with the imagery then… well, clearly you don’t like Monty Python’s humour.
The song would later go on to enjoy a new lease of life (pun mildly intended) when it was released as a single in 1991 and became a favourite across football grounds in Britain.
