"A Mayor Named Sue" - Marsh Family adaptation of "A Boy Named Sue" by Johnny Cash about London mayor

This song doesn't really need an introduction because it tells its own story - the story of the failed election campaign of a candidate for London Mayor, which was held recently as part of a load of local elections in England and Wales. You can find a bit more about the news involved if you want the background here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c72p7dj1890o#:~:text=Ms%20Hall%20has%20said%20running,3.2%25%20of%20the%20overall%20vote.

It was really just an opportunity to cut Thomas loose on his developing Johnny Cash impersonation - late night on a Tuesday of GCSE exam week, so this explains the interrogation lighting and the absence of Danielle. But since it featured on a holiday playlist we've all loved the original track with its incredible character, humour, laid-back-ness, colloquialisms, and dry delivery. One day we might return to get the instruments a bit tighter, but it's near enough for this satirical purpose!

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We know loads of you have already made amazing and generous donations to our Kickstarter campaign to try to raise funds for our future releases this summer and beyond (for original songs). But in case anyone is landing here anew, the reference in text at the end of the video is to the link below which is our crowd-funder running until the start of June:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/marshfamily/the-marsh-family-new-releases-for-summer-2024

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LYRICS:

There was once an ol’ gal named Susan Hall
Who had spent some years down in City Hall
A surprising pick but selectors had to choose
Now she got the chance to try to run for mayor
Had a whiny voice and kinda stringy hair
But the main problem was the words she tried to use

Well she planned it out, and started her campaign
But we all had doubts, when she took to sayin’
That she thought that London Town’s a “hell on earth”
She was spiky as a porcupine
Spoke from the hip – really shot her mind
And she didn’t have a clue what a real-life bus fare’s worth

In November time, well her life got worse
Cos she couldn't find her loaded purse
So she blamed the crime on some dark and evil group
But it turned out Sue was just wrong again
Cos some friendly Good Samaritan
Had turned it in, when she’d dropped it on the Tube

Now, she was taking on a tired-looking man
Who could talk real quick and whose name was Khan
And he’d already been the mayor twice before
He’d got some things right and some things wrong
And he wasn’t weak but he wasn’t strong
But she chose to paint him out like Voldemort

You see: London Town’s got busy streets
There’s protests ‘bout the Middle East
Where innocents face daily blood and strife
It sure don’t help to whip things up
But Susan saw a half-empty cup
And she poured the rest like oil onto the fire

If you scroll down Susan’s Facebook feed
There’s Far Right crap that you can read
She’s anti-Green and a Truss and Trump fan too
The election came in early May
And low turnout she hoped might sway
Enough folks to vote first-past-the-post for Sue

Now some Press leaked that Sue might win
But she ended standing by the bin with
One last chance to be a diplomat
She could have been like Andy Street
But all she did was yowl and bleat
Like some rancid bitter gutter-licking cat

Now she’s disappeared to some new place
Where she can spread her fears and impart her grace
Probably shoutin’ and a’screamin’ and a’tweetin’ till she’s blue
It’s a sad outcome unless you’re Sadiq Khan
Who isn’t Batman but who’s once again returned
Cos the city wouldn’t have that mayor named Sue

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Thanks as ever to our incredible supporters on Patreon - especially Todd among the venerable Howlers, for reasons that only he will appreciate on this one...