A Question of Numbers
This song was developed from "Ballad of the Gentleman and the Docker", written in 1968 from events surrounding Enoch Powell. The new song begins by paying its dues to the earlier composition ("The gentleman talked, you remember / of stemming the alien flood...") and proceeds to broaden out the theme to address racism more generally, but through the pronouncements of more than one powerful figure: a gentleman, a lady and a judge all agree that there are too many immigrants.
In what must be some sort of record, Leon provides some 30 verses, with barely a pause, a couple of which (23 and 24 particularly) borrow from the 1968 prototype. Leon's live performance of 1981 remains the only place this song may be heard in either incarnation.
In what must be some sort of record, Leon provides some 30 verses, with barely a pause, a couple of which (23 and 24 particularly) borrow from the 1968 prototype. Leon's live performance of 1981 remains the only place this song may be heard in either incarnation.