When I accidentally scrubbed every website that I have on my hosting plan, I fell asleep wondering what I was going to do with this space. I woke in the middle of the night from a dream that I was ranking songs from the early 2000’s British show Horrible Histories. I was upset that I couldn’t remember my favorite song fronted by Martha Howe Douglas.
Why not make that into a post, I thought. Easier said than done! I’ve whittled my long list down to 9 songs.
9. Joan of Arc
I knew in my dream my favorite Martha Howe Douglas song were not the Cleopatra or Boudicca songs. It was Joan of Arc! This is a great example of how the songs can be catchy and fit in a bunch of history facts in a way that you can understand and remember them.
8. Born 2 Rule
Featured in episode one of the program, this song shows they weren’t going to be playing around with the music. Another version of this song can be found on youtube, a live version from the BBC Proms that has a slight change of lyrics because a factual error in this one.
7. Natural Selection (Charles Darwin)
There’s no doubt that Mat Baynton was the breakout music star of the bunch with plenty of songs that I could have chosen from. The Adam Ant inspired Dick Turpin song? William Shakespeare? Charles II, King of Bling? The Smith’s-esque take on Charles Dickens?
I’ve picked David Bowie inspired Charles Darwin song.
6. William Wallace: Scottish Rebel
Ben Willbond.
I was just going to leave that as the only thing in the comment, but I wanted to point out my favorite part, “possibly six foot seeeeeveeeen!”
I sing this to my dog a lot when I call him “William Baloney, Scottish Rebel.”
5. Rosa Parks
Troublesome Twentieth Century, indeed. This show taught about something that I’m not sure would be talked about in American schools this way today. It’s a fantastic song, too.
4. The Luddites Song
This is a very real, very good punk song. About the Industrial Revolution and smashing up knitting frames.
3. Pioneers of Transportation
This “Greased Lightning” take-off is so enjoyable. Like the next two songs on my list, you could watch this 5 times, focusing on a different actor each time, and be equally delighted every time.
2. It’s a New World
A catchty, educational song chronicling the Mayflower Pilgrim’s journey to the New World.
1. RAF Fighter Pilot song “The Few”
I might not have got the order right for a lot of this “child-free, middle-aged woman’s ranking of songs from a British children’s show,” but this is without a doubt my favorite Horrible Histories song. Larry Rickard delivers the funniest line in any of the show’s songs in this one.
What do you think? Are there any songs that you would have switched out? What is your favorite Horrible Histories song?
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