The FE sector’s resident bard has adapted Queen’s Somebody to Love to mark Colleges Week and the #LoveOurColleges campaign.
A College to Love is penned and performed by Bedford College principal Ian Pryce, who told Tes that, as it was “impossible to out-Queen Queen”, he thought a reggae version of the song would be appropriate.
This is the latest in a number of catchy tunes to be released by the singing principal, who famously turned Dolly Parton’s Jolene into a funding plea to then education secretary Justine Greening.
Mr Pryce is not the only one taking a musical approach to #CollegesWeek. A number of people involved in the sector have followed the Association of Colleges’ call to #MakeASongFE and amend a famous song title - with suggestions including “Isn’t FE Lovely” and “Skilling Me Softly”.
The 3 Motown stages of inspection: 1. Hear it on the grapevine, nowhere to run, how sweet it is to be judged by you. 2. Take a look around, needle in a haystack, you keep us hangin' on. 3. Ain't too proud to beg, don't leave us this way, it's a shame.#MakeASongFE@AoC_info
Our financial health is disturbing
We can barely make ends meet
Just take a look at our funding
And think Lord, what you’re doing to me (yeah yeah)
We’ve given up believing you
We never get any relief, Lord!
So somebody (somebody), ooh somebody (somebody)
Can everyone just find them a college to love?
Every day (every day) we try and we try and we try
But everybody seems to put us down
They say the funding rate is crazy
You say you’ve protected the rate
But it’s cruel, makes no sense
With inflation down 20 per cent
Yeah yeah
Staff work hard (they work hard) every day of their lives
Yet don’t see a rise in their pay (seven years)
In the end (at the end of the day)
We conclude our success is not valued or known
We gotta get out of this funding hell
Or we’ll never be Germany, Lord!
Somebody (somebody), ooh somebody
(Please) can everyone just find them a college to love?
Find me a college to love (to fade)
Want to keep reading for free?
Register with Tes and you can read two free articles every month plus you'll have access to our range of award-winning newsletters.
