Exclusive: New Data Protection Hymn

In honour of the recent announcement of the appointment of Justin Welby as the next Archbishop of Canterbury, I thought I would prepare a new data protection hymn for those of us who open our eyes each day and thank the Lord for allowing us to get away with whatever it is we've done.

As you know, I’m not that good at creating anything new. Given half the chance, I tend to turn to something old and familiar and give it a bit of a tweak.

Anyway, if James Edmeston were still alive (which is highly improbably as if he were, he would be 221 years old, and actually he died back in 1847), he might be tempted to rummage through some of the nearly 2000 hymns he wrote to see if there was one that could be suitably refreshed. In 1821, at the age of 30, he wrote the hymn that I have lovingly ripped off today.

Sung to Friedrich Filitz’s original tune, I’m confident that my version would gladden the heart of any data protection congregation. Indeed, I would be honoured to conduct the choir if it were ever to be aired on the BBC TV programme Songs of Praise.

Failing that, perhaps the ICO choristers could add it to their repertoire and perform it at the ICO's annual carol service (more details of which will be revealed in tomorrow's blog).

Lead us, Heavenly Father, lead us
To a better life on line
Help us, Father, help us sinners
(Make sure my data stays mine)
Lead us, lead us, lead us, lead us
To a better life on line

Give us, Heavenly Father, give us
Tools to stop the on-line spies.
Let us surf the web in private
(Keep me from all prying eyes)
Give us, give us, give us, give us
Tools to stop the on-line spies

Grant us, Heavenly Father, grant us
Fundamental human rights
Banish all embarrassing pictures
(Of me drunk and wearing tights)
Grant us, grant us grant us, grant us
Fundamental human rights

Spare us, Heavenly Father, spare us
From yet more data regulation drafts
Can’t you see that we are beaten
(Overwhelmed by what’s been published in the past)
Spare us, spare us, spare us, spare us
From yet more data regulation drafts

Bless us, Heavenly Father, bless us
As we build our new regime
Look with favour on our lady
(Viv is Europe’s Data Queen)
Bless us, bless us, bless us, bless us
As we build our new regime


Image credit:
This image, of the cross at the top of Cross Mountain in Medjugorje, Bosnia & Herzegovina, was taken by Sean MacEntee on May 31, 2011.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/smemon/5781615723/

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