The British Are Coming

"The British Are Coming" is the sixth track on Everything Will Be Alright in the End.
===Appearances===
*Everything Will Be Alright in the End (2014)
*Alone XI: The EWBAITE Years (2020)
==Overview==
"The British Are Coming" was the fourth song to be officially released prior to the album's release. Shortly after the album's release, an instrumental-only version of the album was leaked online. In December 2017, an earlier version of the song was leaked online, containing unique lyrics and lacking the album version's intro. It was rumored that the original version of the song also contained more explicitly personal lyrics for years, before that version surfaced under the name "Don't Mess With My Girl". It was also rumored that this version contained a lyric about Boba Fett, but this turned out to be untrue, although another version that mentions Boba Fett has also surfaced.
While "The British Are Coming" would be released on Everything Will Be Alright in the End, it was initially written for the scrapped concept album Ecce Homo. It was planned to be the fifth song, and would represent the main character Sebastian coming into his own and finding independence. In the Ecce Homo document, the following notes were included about the song:
 (Age 22): 
 • not looking for advice anymore. Is connected to his own inner compass. 
The liner notes for Everything Will Be Alright in the End groups songs by one of three themes. "The British Are Coming" is grouped under the category "Patriarchia" (songs about Cuomo's relationships with father figures). Many of the song's lyrics are references to the American Revolutionary War, specifically the ride of Paul Revere leading up to the Battles of Lexington and Concord. King George, the King of Britain at the time, is named. “One, if by land, and two, if by sea” is a phrase coined by Henry W. Longfellow in 1860 for his poem Paul Revere's Ride, referring to Revere's use of lanterns to signal to the Patriots the route used by British soldiers to advance to Concord. "Sons of Liberty" were a secret society who opposed the taxation of the American colonies by the British government. The song's title and therefore chorus are most likely historically inaccurate as the American Colonists at the time would have considered themselves British.Revere House Radio. Paul Revere House. https://paulreverehouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Ep.-3_-What-did-PR-Actually-Say_.pdf?/
==Personnel==
*Rivers Cuomo – guitar, lead vocals
*Patrick Wilson – drums
*Brian Bell – guitar, backing vocals
*Scott Shriner – bass guitar, backing vocals
*Ric Ocasek - producer
==Audio==
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==Lyrics==
The lyrical variants for "The British Are Coming" are too numerous to list here. For an exhaustive list, see Lyrics: The British Are Coming.
===Album version===
Welcome to the first level Literati
Our mission is to keep the tradition alive
It's up to us
It's our responsibility
Who else is going to do it?
This is the night
Light up a fire in the forge
We're not the coins
In the coffer of old King George
One if by land
Two if they come by sea
We'll show 'em we
Are the true Sons of Liberty
Punk-ass redcoats trying to run the show
Telling me what to do and where to go
Mount your horse 'cause it's time to tell the world
The British are coming
The British are coming
The British are coming
Smear on the soot
Tear up an old deerskin shirt
We know this shot
Will be heard all around the world
Punk-ass redcoats trying to run the show
Telling me what to do and where to go
Mount your horse 'cause it's time to tell the world
The British are coming
The British are coming
The British are coming
This is the destiny of all mankind
We will shake off these chains and shackles that bind
Come on, let's give them everything we have
The British are coming
The British are coming
The British are coming
==Known recordings==
==See also==
*List of Rivers Cuomo songs
*List of Weezer songs
==References==
Category:Weezer songsCategory:Rivers Cuomo songsCategory:Weezer songs produced by Ric OcasekCategory:Everything Will Be Alright in the EndCategory:Allmusic track picksCategory:Songs on Alone XI: The EWBAITE Years