It's hardly going to come as a surprise if I say I'm not a fan of UKIP's policies. As someone who tries to speak out on subjects such as feminism, LGBT+ rights and multi-culturalism, I'm not what you would call a natural UKIP voter.
Whilst I can only do dull things like inform everyone that immigration brings positive things to the UK, and that actually metrological events are not due to homosexuality, however, other people have been making their point in much more entertaining fashion.
So, without further ado, let me introduce you to the wonderful, surreal world of satirical songs with my five favourite You Tube hits looking at UKIP. They're all not only political but quite good fun as well.
Please note: some of these songs contain adult language and mention of racist and/or otherwise offensive terms. Please do not click if you are likely to be offended, are at work, or around small children.
This is beautiful for its gently satirical lines about 'Englishness' and what counts as being English: "They were all English and dancing so English-ly"
Anything which starts with the line "There now follows a party political gangsta rap" is off to a good start. Though, given the song in the middle of a recent Green Party political broadcast, apparently not quite such a ridiculous suggestion as it might seem!
There may also very well be a lot of points made in this piece which some UKIP voters thoroughly approve of. And that's the interesting line with satire: how close it can come to truth...
You cannot possibly dislike the Scottish Falsetto Socks. You just can't. I'll say no more. Just listen to it.
The video with this is particularly worth watching for the quotations made by genuine UKIP members (past and present) which are put up on screen.
The biggest warning, however, is that you will have heard the original, and indeed different parodies, so many times that you will catch yourself humming it later and drive yourself and others to distraction!
I've put this one top because... well, partly because it's a very good song, obviously, but also because the ideas of what make someone English ("I like pies and mash and kippers/I watch Top Gear in my slippers") both feed into ideas of our national psyche and satirise it. It is funny without being mean.
Apart from the fact that they're very well done, I'm particularly fond of my #1 and #2 because they pick up on facts. In 'All About That Race', there are the UKIP members' remarks; and 'I'm Just An Ordinary Bloke' points out the differences between the way in which Nigel Farage presents himself and the actual facts of his background. And it does so without resorting to insults and slurs.
And although I've warned for adult language, none of the songs I've chosen are based around name-calling and swearing for the hell of it. If I dare to say it, it's a very British sort of humour...
NB: In the interests of fairness, I should probably say that I'm intending to vote for the Green Party. I did have really quite a good look for satirical songs about them, but came up short, which was quite surprising because I would have thought that they too were ripe for satire. If anyone knows any, do comment and link. To even up the post now, however, I offer my own rhyming couplet to gently satirise what people think of the Greens:
"Feeling angry? Hug a tree.
If kittens could vote, they'd vote for me."