the only person who didn't realise something was drastically wrong

Funny that. It was the airplay première and I heard it go out live. People were saying how crap it sounded so MLC came along, screeching and screaming that it was "fab" / "brilliant" etc etc without having heard the transmission. Then she heard it on the replayer and joined (screechily) in the chorus of whingers. I just said "It's a dirge, innit? Wasn't it supposed to sound like that?"

Chris Conder apologised, yes, for screwing up the studio equipment and letting it run at just over a semitone flat. It's a very dangerous lyric to hold up as representative of "English culture". It's borderline racist and that's far from being just my opinion.