| A Singsong and a Scrap | |
| Type: | Album |
| Artist: | Chumbawamba |
| Cover: | Chumbasingsong.JPG |
| Released: | 11 October 2005 |
| Recorded: | 2005 |
| Genre: | Folk |
| Length: | 42:40 |
| Label: | No Masters |
| Prev Title: | Un |
| Prev Year: | 2004 |
| Next Title: | Get On with It |
| Next Year: | 2006 |
A Singsong and a Scrap is the 12th studio album by Chumbawamba released in 2005. It shows more folk influence than their previous album Un and features guest appearances from folk musicians such as Coope Boyes and Simpson, Andy Cutting and John Jones and Ian Telfer of Oysterband. The first single to be taken from the album is "Fade Away".
"Laughter in a Time of War", "By and By", and "Walking into Battle with the Lord" feature vocals by John Jones. Additionally, Coope Boyes and Simpson contribute vocals to "Walking into Battle with the Lord", "Bankrobber", and "The Land of Do What You're Told". "By and By" is a tribute to Swedish-American labour activist Joe Hill. "You Can (Mass Tresspass)" takes inspiration from the Mass Trespass of Kinder Scout, which led to land access reform across the UK. "When Alexander Met Emma" is about anarchists Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman. "Bankrobber" is a cover of the Clash song of the same name, featured here in an a capella arrangement.
Chumbawamba recorded a cover of the traditional Italian song "Bella Ciao" in the wake of the controversial death of activist Carlo Giuliani in Genoa. The album features a hidden track, "The Untraditional", which is a song about forbidden love in the English folk tradition. Any mention of the track on the package was omitted to reinforce the "taboo" subject nature and "because it tries to make its point in a very quiet way".
All songs written, arranged and produced by Chumbawamba, except "Bankrobber" written by Joe Strummer and Mick Jones and "Bella Ciao" (traditional).
All instruments and voices
With