🌆 About the Song
“Heartland” is The The at their sharpest — part protest song, part weary lament for a country that’s lost its way.
Matt Johnson wrote it during the Thatcher era, but the lyrics still hit uncomfortably close to home: economic decay, political hypocrisy, and ordinary people trying to make sense of it all.
It’s furious and funny in that uniquely British way — the sarcasm cuts deep, but there’s real sorrow underneath.
On ukulele, “Heartland” becomes something different: smaller, more intimate, but still full of bite. The rhythm works brilliantly on four strings, turning the political snarl into a fireside warning.
🎸 Ukulele Playing Tips
We’ll play it in E minor, keeping the dark, rolling feel of the original bass line.
You’ll need Em, C, D, G, and B7.
Verse progression: [Em] – [C] – [G] – [D]
Chorus: [C] – [B7] – [Em] – [G]
Keep a pulsing, hypnotic rhythm — down–down–up–up–down–up around 95 bpm.
Strum near the bridge for a brittle, percussive tone, or fingerpick 4–3–2–1 for a moody thrum.
If you’re using a low-G uke, accent the bass notes to mimic that driving synth line from the original recording.
Singing tip: Johnson’s vocal is half-sung, half-spoken — don’t polish it. Let it sound weary, ironic, and slightly dangerous.
💡 Trivia You Can Drop Casually
- “Heartland” was written as a critique of British nationalism and economic inequality during the 1980s.
- It was never a massive single but became one of The The’s most defining tracks — a fan-favourite and a live staple.
- The accompanying Infected film (shot by Tim Pope) visualised each song as a short, surreal political statement.
- The line “This is the 51st state of the USA” became one of the most quoted lyrics of the decade.
- Matt Johnson played most of the instruments himself — the bassline, in particular, is iconic.
🌈 Final Word
“Heartland” is protest as poetry — clever, cynical, and heartbreakingly human.
On ukulele, it becomes less angry and more reflective, like an old friend quietly explaining why the world’s gone wrong.
Play it steady, play it low, and let the words do the heavy lifting.
