Rejoice
In the gently melodic "Rejoice" (as recorded for Temporary Loss of Vision) Leon is accompanied only by Firoz Shapur's piano. The song's subject matter is somewhat darker however, centering on the rise of British patriotism, at a time when the Falklands War was being reported to the public in glowing, heroic terms. In Leon's spin, the population is being anaesthetised to reality (or, in fact, amputated to remove troublesome parts of their consciousness) - necessary for patriotism to flourish.
"The title refers to Margaret Thatcher's injunction to the press and the British people when the news came through in April 1982 that the Argentinian soldiers on South Georgia had surrendered and the Falklands was was as good as won ... The song ... was an attempt to express my feelings about the war and its aftermath." - LR (Where Are The Barricades? (sleevenotes), 2016)
recordings
Version 1 (1983)