Singh Song!Daljit Nagra

Singh Song!

my brideshe hav a red crew cutand she wear a Tartan saria donkey jacket and some pumpson di squeak ov di girls dat are pinching my sweeties –

ven I return from di tickle ov my bridedi shoppers always point and cry:Hey Singh, ver yoo bin?Di milk is out ov dateand di bread is alvays stale,di tings yo hav on offer yoo never got in stockin di worst Indian shopon di Indian road –

late in di midnight hourven yoo are wrap up quietven di precinct is concrete-coolvee cum down whispering stairsand sit on my stool,from behind di chocolate barsvee stare past di half-price window signsat di beaches ov di UK in di brighty moon –from di stool each night she say,How much do yoo charge for dat moon baby?

from di stool each night I say,Is half di cost ov yoo baby,

from di stool each night she say,How much does dat come to baby?

from di stool each night I say,is priceless baby -

Singh Song!

I run just one ov my daddy’s shopsfrom 9 o’clockand he vunt me not to hav a breakbut ven nobody in, I do di lock - The narrator is the son – he

will inherit the shop. he only has limited accountability; perhapsthis is the first time he has been entrusted with responsibility

The narrator is the son – hewill inherit the shop. he only has limited accountability; perhapsthis is the first time he has been entrusted with responsibility

phonetic spellings in places to represent 'Punglish' - English spoken in a Punjabi accent. This increases the number of 'd' and 'v' sounds in the song, and creates an alliterative, rhythmic effect.

phonetic spellings in places to represent 'Punglish' - English spoken in a Punjabi accent. This increases the number of 'd' and 'v' sounds in the song, and creates an alliterative, rhythmic effect.

The name 'Singh' comes from a Sanskrit word meaning 'lion' and it is an essential part of the name of any Sikh male.

The name 'Singh' comes from a Sanskrit word meaning 'lion' and it is an essential part of the name of any Sikh male.

this poem is a song - it has a strong lyrical voice, and depends on rhyme and rhythm, as well as repetition to create a sense of a refrain or chorus.

this poem is a song - it has a strong lyrical voice, and depends on rhyme and rhythm, as well as repetition to create a sense of a refrain or chorus.

highlights the father’s need for the son to take this hard-earned responsibility seriously

highlights the father’s need for the son to take this hard-earned responsibility seriously

cos up di stairs is my newly bridevee share in chapattivee share in di chutneyafter vee hav made luvlike ve rowing through Putney -

play on words: ‘Putney’ is Punjabi for ‘wife’, and also an area of south-westLondon

play on words: ‘Putney’ is Punjabi for ‘wife’, and also an area of south-westLondon

repetition of ‘share’ suggests that the couple have an equal partnership

limited knowledge of English –this shows the idiolect of the character.limited knowledge of English –this shows the idiolect of the character.

Ven I return vid my pinnie untieddi shoppers always point and cry:Hey Singh, ver yoo bin?Yor lemons are limesyor bananas are plantain,dis dirty little floor need a little bit of mopin di worst Indian shopon di whole Indian road -

italicised refrain to present the perspective of other shoppers, who act like a chorus commentary in classical Greek theatre. All speak with an Indian accent

italicised refrain to present the perspective of other shoppers, who act like a chorus commentary in classical Greek theatre. All speak with an Indian accent

Above my head high heel tap di groundas my vife on di web is playing wid di mouseven she netting two cat on her Sikh lover siteshe book dem for di meat at di cheese ov her price -

She runs an online dating site for Sikhs; the modern way of arranging marriages. She is also running a business – part of the Indian work ethic. Nagra plays with the metaphor of the cat and mouse, as the narrator's wife is on what could be an internet dating site. The men she is catching are both mice, which she is playing with as a cat might. But they could also be cats. 'Cat' is a fairly common but old-fashioned slang term for a man. The confusion of who is the cat and who is the mouse reflects the situation the metaphor describes, where we might expect the bride to be the victim, but she is not! There may also be some punning here on the idea of the 'web' and her "netting" her prey.

She runs an online dating site for Sikhs; the modern way of arranging marriages. She is also running a business – part of the Indian work ethic. Nagra plays with the metaphor of the cat and mouse, as the narrator's wife is on what could be an internet dating site. The men she is catching are both mice, which she is playing with as a cat might. But they could also be cats. 'Cat' is a fairly common but old-fashioned slang term for a man. The confusion of who is the cat and who is the mouse reflects the situation the metaphor describes, where we might expect the bride to be the victim, but she is not! There may also be some punning here on the idea of the 'web' and her "netting" her prey.

imagery to suggest the wife is dangerous and powerful (‘on di web’, ‘netting’ and ‘playing vid di mouse’) the customers are her ‘meat’ and she tempts them with ‘cheese’ − this could also hint at the dynamic in their relationship. She also appears more westernised.

imagery to suggest the wife is dangerous and powerful (‘on di web’, ‘netting’ and ‘playing vid di mouse’) the customers are her ‘meat’ and she tempts them with ‘cheese’ − this could also hint at the dynamic in their relationship. She also appears more westernised.

my bride she effing at my mum in all di colours of Punjabi den stumble like a drunk making fun at my daddy

my bride tiny eyes ov a gun and di tummy ov a teddymy bride

she hav a red crew cut and she wear a Tartan sari a donkey jacket and some pumps on di squeak ov di girls dat are pinching my sweeties -

contrast of ‘gun’ and ‘teddy’ suggests conflicting feelings towards her;she is both comforting and dangerous?

contrast of ‘gun’ and ‘teddy’ suggests conflicting feelings towards her;she is both comforting and dangerous?

metaphors used to describe the narrator's bride are quite unexpected. Neither the "tiny eyes ov a gun" and the "tummy ov a teddy" sound particularly attractive, but it is clear that he loves her. They also tell us a lot about his wife: using the comparison of the gun tells us she's assertive, but "teddy" suggests affection and softness.

metaphors used to describe the narrator's bride are quite unexpected. Neither the "tiny eyes ov a gun" and the "tummy ov a teddy" sound particularly attractive, but it is clear that he loves her. They also tell us a lot about his wife: using the comparison of the gun tells us she's assertive, but "teddy" suggests affection and softness.

sums up the ideas behind the poem: draws on the idea of colourful language, but it also suggests the idea of variety, and that behind the stereotype of the Indian immigrant, there are many different individual lives.

sums up the ideas behind the poem: draws on the idea of colourful language, but it also suggests the idea of variety, and that behind the stereotype of the Indian immigrant, there are many different individual lives.

Ven I return from di tickle ov my bride di shoppers always point and cry: Hey Singh,ver yoo bin? Di milk is out ov date and di bread is alvays stale, di tings yoo hav on offer yoo hav never got in stock in di worst Indian shop on di whole Indian road -

Repetition of the customers’ complaints works like a chorus in a song

Late in di midnight hour ven yoo shoppers are wrap up quiet ven di precinct is concrete-cool vee cum down whispering stairs and sit on my silver stool, from behind di chocolate bars vee stare past di half-price window signs at di beaches ov di UK in di brightey moon -

change of voice to second person, speaking directly to shopperschange of voice to second person, speaking directly to shoppers

‘midnight’ gives suggestion of magic; extended metaphor of moon (‘cool’, ‘whispering’ and ‘silver’); moon imagery links to the idea of honeymoon

‘midnight’ gives suggestion of magic; extended metaphor of moon (‘cool’, ‘whispering’ and ‘silver’); moon imagery links to the idea of honeymoon

suggestion of ‘Blighty’suggestion of ‘Blighty’

The shop at night becomes a romantic destination. The personification of the "whispering stairs" gives a beautiful sense of secrecy

The shop at night becomes a romantic destination. The personification of the "whispering stairs" gives a beautiful sense of secrecy

the shopkeeper's stool is elevated with the adjective "silver",

the shopkeeper's stool is elevated with the adjective "silver",

they look out past the things which represent their daily life - the "half-price window signs" - to the "brightey moon", a romantic icon.

from di stool each night she say, How much do yoo charge for dat moon baby? from di stool each night I say, Is half di cost ov yoo baby, from di stool each night she say, How much does dat come to baby?from di stool each night I say, Is priceless baby -

series of couplets with repeated refrains, giving the impression that the couple are ‘in tune’ with each otherseries of couplets with repeated refrains, giving the impression that the couple are ‘in tune’ with each other

their love is ‘priceless’, contrasting directly with the ‘priced’ items in the shoptheir love is ‘priceless’, contrasting directly with the ‘priced’ items in the shop

Attitudes and Ideas• As well as exploring the experience of the main character, this poem

challenges the conventional expectations other people might have of him. These expectations are set up in the first stanza, in which the narrator tells us his father wants him to work twelve-hour days in the shop, playing on the idea of the immigrant work ethic. But he constantly upsets and challenges these expectations through the image of his wife: she is "netting two cat on her Sikh lover site", and swearing at his mother, which are both unexpected, but not as much as her punk appearance, with a "red crew cut" and a "Tartan sari".

• The focus on the love between them and the human aspect of their experience conveys very powerfully the idea that you can't use stereotypical expectations to judge what a person will be like.

• The poem is playful. The rhyme, the subversion of expectations and the comic images that seem created just for the rhyme (making love "like vee rowing through Putney"), all create a light-hearted poem and prevent the end from becoming sentimental.

Context• Daljit Nagra is a British poet of Indian descent born in Bradford in

1966, who now lives and works in London. Look We Have Coming to Dover was his first collection, published in 2007, and the title poem won the Forward Poetry Prize. His poetry explores the experiences of first generation immigrants to Britain and those of their children and grandchildren.

• He often uses language and spelling that reflects the English of people whose first language is Punjabi, describing attempts to represent his community’s experiences in English as 'overheating'. The name 'Singh' comes from a Sanskrit word meaning 'lion' and it is an essential part of the name of any Sikh male.

SubjectSingh Song is a first-person love song by a young man about his wife. He manages his father's shop but keeps sneaking upstairs to see her instead. He paints a colourful picture of their love and lives, challenging stereotypical ideas about Indian culture.

Form and structure• As it says in the title, this poem is a song - it has a

strong lyrical voice, and depends on rhyme and rhythm, as well as repetition to create a sense of a refrain or chorus. The structure does not stay the same throughout, but cycles through a number of different stanza patterns, finishing in four two-line stanzas that follow a conversation between the narrator and his bride. The structure is highly repetitive, creating a sense of closeness between the two speakers.

Comparison

Checking Out Me History• Both poems use non-standard spelling to suggest

an accent for the voice of the narrator.• These narrators both bring the voices of others

into their poetry - in Checking Out Me History it's the authority behind 'dem' and in this poem it's the voice of the complaining customers.

• Although both these poems challenge assumptions, Singh Song! is not as obviously political as Checking Out Me History.