The Anglo-Saxons

The Anglo-Saxons
Album	The Basement Tapes: Live Recordings at KSPC 1989-1995
Released	1995
Artist	the Mountain Goats
Length	1:49
Previous Track	"Evangenline Falls" (Ruby Falls)
Next Track	"Evergreen"

The Anglo-Saxons is the fifth song on the compilation The Basement Tapes: Live Recordings at KSPC 1989-1995. It was re-released on the compilation Ghana.

Lyrics

They used to paint their bodies blue 
A couple of them might be distantly related to you
According to Caesar, they shaved their entire bodies
Except for the upper lip and the head 

Yeah the Anglo-Saxons 
Yeah the Anglo-Saxons 
A sub-literate bunch of guys
Though some sources say otherwise
Yeah the Anglo-Saxons 

Yeah they were men on a mission
Preserving their poetry by an oral tradition 
Yeah oral tradition was all you'd get 
Until Saint Augustine brought them the alphabet
Yeah the Anglo-Saxons 
Yeah the Anglo-Saxons

Yeah in 1065 they were ragin' 
But 1066 brought the Norman Invasion
Yeah the Anglo-Saxons 
Go! 

Comments by John Darnielle About this Song

• "Large amounts of the historical data provided in this song are inaccurate, so you should not, if you get quizzed on Pre-Norman Conquest British England, take your answers from this song." -- 1994-XX-XX - Columbus, OH
• "Well, unlike in my home...you all will probably be able to recognize the vast historical inaccuracies in this song. Most of it's based in truth, but you all probably know the difference between the Anglos, the Picts, and the Jutes, and then the people who followed them, and this sort of mixes all the history up, because one: I didn't really know what I was talking about when I wrote it, and two: I'm willing to sacrifice truth for a good song." -- 1996-03-20 - The Garage - London, England

Live Shows this Song Was Played at

• 1994-xx-xx - Stache's - Columbus, OH
• 1996-03-20 - The Garage - London, England
• 1997-04-04 - Duke Coffeehouse - Durham, NC
• 2003-04-04 - Macrock Festival - Court Square Theatre - Harrisonburg, VA
• 2013-06-09 - Higher Ground Ballroom - South Burlington, VT

Videos of this Song

• 2013-06-09 - Higher Ground Ballroom - South Burlington, VT