The Brotherhood of Man, Rich Paschall

“And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” – as translated from the historic Greek in Mark 3:25

The idea of a house divided against itself has appeared frequently in literature over the centuries. In the Aesop (b. 620 BC) fable “The Four Oxen and the Lion” we learn that the four oxen are only safe against the lion if they stand together. When they argued and separated, of course, they were doomed to be caught by the lion, one at a time. From that point on, this obvious point often arises in stories, mottos, and songs.

In 1970, the British pop group The Brotherhood of Man was the first to release “United We Stand.” The song reached number 13 on the US charts but hung around long enough to be considered number 64 for the year. The message seems more important to us now than it did 50 years ago. For its golden anniversary have another listen, or perhaps you are hearing it for the first time.

And if the world around you falls apart my love
Then I’ll still be here
And if the going gets too hard along the way
Just you call I’ll hear
For united we stand. Divided we fall

“Then join hand in hand, brave Americans all! By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall!”. – John Dickinson, July 7, 1768

See Also: “Golden Oldies, Part One,” My Top Twenty, 1970 Edition, SERENDIPITY, October 6, 2020.
“Golden Oldies, Part II,” The Golden Age of Rock Turns 50, 1970, SERENDIPITY, October 4, 2020.
“One Hit Wonders, 1970 Edition,” SERENDIPITY, September 13, 2020.

Categories: Entertainment, Music, Rich Paschall

Tags: 1970, fable, pop music, Rich Paschall, United we stand