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An Ode to Cecil Rhodes

by Emily Heath

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On the 11th of May at the University of Derby, there will be a public history conference on Culture and Belief in room T204.
The conference starts at 8:30 and finishes at 5:05, throughout the day there will be conference papers on various aspects of history relating to culture and belief, but in particular we would like to draw your attention to the conference at 2:15, entitled Ideology and Empire: Cecil Rhodes and the Scramble For Africa, written by Emily Heath, Joshua Russell, Daniel Tagg and Dianne Wareing. Anyone interested is welcome to attend, and tea and coffee will be provided! Please contact Ian Whitehead at i.whitehead@derby.ac.uk for more details.

lyrics

Diamonds were Cecil Rhodes best friend,
And he went to an awful lot of trouble to make sure
That he had more, than any young girl could
Ever hope to wish for.

Rhodes was of a sickly disposition, and this gave his mother
Ammunition to hope, that a change of scenery was just the thing
He’d need.
So with a wheezy chest and a rather weak heart, a hot new climate and
A brand new start, in Africa he did descend.

Rolleston gave Rhodes a thirst for buying diamonds, and he went
To Griqualand to find them.
Seen by his friends as a shy and awkward youth
But he managed his mines and slowly they grew,
As did his influence.

Diamonds were Cecil Rhodes best friend,
And he went to an awful lot of trouble to make sure
That he had more, than any young girl could
Ever hope to wish for.

He took an interest in politics and he used his wealth to
Intimidate the Brits, who governed Africa.
A big fan of imperialism and that you won at life
If you lived in Britain, a nationalist capitalist.

With his own state that he called Rhodesia, such
A modest man I thing you’ll agree and,
He had some plans for it.
With the Glen Gray act, he Sivewright pact
It was his idea to keep white from black,
Not his best idea.

Diamonds were Cecil Rhodes best friend,
And he went to an awful lot of trouble to make sure
That he had more, than any young girl could
Ever hope to wish for.


In 1902 his weak heart stopped beating,
And the will he left made for interesting reading,
He left some money for a secret society
To help Britain rule for ‘it was best for humanity.. .’

And though he lived a very charmed life, he had no interest
In finding a wife, rumour has it he liked men.
So he could be seen as a little bit racist but can’t be
Condemned as a bit homophobic, so at least that’s something.

Diamonds were Cecil Rhodes best friend,
And he went to an awful lot of trouble to make sure
That he had more, than any young girl could
Ever hope to wish for.

credits

released April 5, 2011

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Emily Heath Staffordshire, UK

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