The phrase "Short, sharp shock" is taken from Gilbert and Sullivan's 1885 comic opera The Mikado, where it appears near the end of the Act I song, "I am so proud." W. S. Gilbert Sir Arthur Sullivan Librettist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) collaborated on a series of fourteen comic operas in Victorian England between 1871 and 1896. ... Comic opera is a subcategory of opera, and denotes a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature. ... The Mikado, or The Town of Titipu, is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen operatic collaborations. ...

In the opera, the Mikado (the Emperor of Japan), having learned that the town of Titipu is behind on its quota of executions, has decreed that at least one resident of the town must be executed immediately. Otherwise the town will be reduced to the status of a village. In the dialogue preceding the song, three characters, Pooh-Bah, Ko-Ko and Pish-Tush, discuss which of them should be beheaded in order to save the town from "irretrievable ruin." Although Pooh-Bah's enormous "family pride" would normally prompt him to volunteer for important civic duties, he has decided to "mortify" his pride, and so he declines this undertaking. He points out that since Ko-Ko is already under sentence of death for the capital crime of flirting, Ko-Ko is the obvious choice to be beheaded. Pish-Tush helpfully notes that he had heard that beheading is not all that painful (although he does not seem certain of this). His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Akihito. ... Main street in Bastrop, Texas, a small town A town is a residential community of people ranging from a few hundred to several thousands, although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan areas. ... A village is a human residential settlement commonly found in rural areas. ... Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is the execution of a convicted criminal by the state as punishment for crimes known as capital crimes or capital offences. ...

In the last lines of the song, Pooh-Bah, Ko-Ko and Pish-Tush are contemplating "the sensation" of a short, sharp shock caused by being beheaded:

To sit in solemn silence in a dull, dark dock,

In a pestilential prison with a life-long lock

Awaiting the sensation of a short, sharp shock

From a cheap and chippy chopper on a big, black block.

Cultural influence

The phrase is heard as part of a spoken section in the song Us and Them by Pink Floyd from their 1973 album, The Dark Side of the Moon. The phrase is spoken by rock and roll road manager Roger The Hat: A song is a relatively short musical composition for the human voice (commonly accompanied by other musical instruments), which features words (lyrics). ... For the Shinedown album, see Us and Them (album) Us and Them is the seventh track[1] from British progressive rock band Pink Floyds 1973 album, The Dark Side of the Moon. ... Pink Floyd are an English rock band noted for philosophical lyrics, classical rock compositions, sonic experimentation, innovative cover art, and elaborate live shows. ... The Dark Side of the Moon (titled in the 1993 CD release as Dark Side of the Moon) is a 1973 concept album by Pink Floyd. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... The road crew (or roadies) are the technicians who travel on tour with musicians and who handle every part of the production except actually playing the music. ...

"You know they're gonna kill ya. So, like... if you give 'em a quick short, sharp shock, they don't do it again. Dig it? I mean he got off lightly, 'cos I could've given him a thrashing - I only hit him once!

It was only a difference of right and wrong in it... I mean good manners don't cost nothing do they? 'Ey!"

This phrase also met popularity under the Thatcher government in the United Kingdom, when the then Home Secretary Willie Whitelaw introduced the "short, sharp shock" treatment at detention centers for young criminals (advertised as part of the 1979 Conservative Party Manifesto). Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (born 13 October 1925) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990. ... William Stephen Ian Whitelaw, 1st Viscount Whitelaw, KT, CH, MC, PC, DL (June 28, 1918 - July 1, 1999), commonly known as Willie Whitelaw, was a British Conservative politician. ... The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative & Unionist Party) is currently the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), and the largest in terms of public membership. ... A manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature. ...

The phrase was used in the title of a fantasy novel, A Short, Sharp Shock by Kim Stanley Robinson. haha For other meanings see Fantasy (disambiguation) Fantasy is a genre of art that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. ... A Short, Sharp Shock is a novel written by Kim Stanley Robinson and published in 1990. ... Kim Stanley Robinson at the 63rd World Science Fiction Convention in Glasgow, August 2005 Kim Stanley Robinson (born March 23, 1952) is an American science fiction writer, probably best known for his award-winning Mars trilogy. ...

It also appears in the title of an album, Short Sharp Shocked, by Michelle Shocked and the EP "Shortsharpshock" by Therapy?. Short Sharp Shocked is an album by Michelle Shocked. ... Michelle Shocked is a U.S. singer-songwriter whose music and performances seem influenced by her Texas roots, her political activism, and a self-assured style that her first major label producer likened to troubadors such as Joni Mitchell, Spider John Koerner, and Dave Van Ronk. ... Shortsharpshock was the first EP released by the band Therapy?. It was released in 1993 through A&M Records. ... Therapy? are a heavy metal rock band from Northern Ireland. ...

In the Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett, Feet of Clay, Commander Sam Vimes is noted as "all for giving criminals a short, sharp shock." Diskworld, spelled with a k, was a disk magazine for the Apple Macintosh, later renamed Softdisk for Mac. ... A novel (from French nouvelle Italian novella, new) is an extended, generally fictional narrative in prose. ... Terence David John Pratchett OBE (born April 28, 1948, in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England[1]) is an English fantasy author, best known for his Discworld series. ... Feet of Clay is a Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett which parodies detective novels. ... Sam Vimes is a fictional policeman from Terry Pratchetts Discworld series. ...

External links

• Extensive information about The Mikado including Midi file and lyrics to the song