Upon the news of the conservative leader’s passing, many marked the occasion by tweeting, “Ding Dong the Witch is Dead,” appropriating the refrain shouted out by the joyous, newly freed residents of the Yellow Brick Road in The Wizard of Oz.
LONDON – The Judy Garland song, made famous in “The Wizard of Oz,” was bought online by masses of Britons in a concerted effort to mark and celebrate the passing of the former prime minister.
Not everyone was so upset over the death of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. In fact, some partied like it was 1939 (and they were members of the Lollipop Guild).
Upon the news of the conservative leader’s passing, many marked the occasion by tweeting, “Ding Dong the Witch is Dead,” appropriating the refrain shouted out by the joyous, newly freed residents of the Yellow Brick Road in The Wizard of Oz. Taking it a step further, a campaign was launched to make the song — sung by Judy Garland — the top song on the various music sales charts in the UK.
Led by a Facebook page (which has been home to a contentious back and forth), the song has shot up to the top ten on the UK iTunes charts within 24 hours, and number two on the Amazon download chart.
A more direct shot at Thatcher, Elvis Costello’s “Tramp the Dirt Down,” was at 79 on the iTunes chart.
Thatcher’s death sparked celebrations among liberals and Labour Party members across the UK, who remembered her less than fondly for policies that destroyed trade unions, supported some international dictators and furthered economic inequality in the nation. Morrissey wrote a scathing note about Thatcher in The Daily Beast, calling her a “a terror without an atom of humanity.”
Courtesy The Hollywood Reporter
