1984

what is significant about the song winston hears the prole lady sing as he waits for julia in the room above the junk shop?

chapter 4 . page 144 and page 148

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As Winston waits for her in the room, he hears a woman singing outside as she hangs out her wash. She's singing something like "It was all a hopeless fancy." Winston envies this woman. He envies how she has put out several kids and now takes care of grandkids. She still sings even though her youth is gone. Winston still finds her beautiful. She is everything the party isn't.

The song in particular never seems to go away amongst the Proles despite the plethora of nationalistic songs that catch on from time to time.

Here are the some lyrics if you want to sing it sometime,

'It was only an 'opeless fancy,/It passed like an Ipril dye,/ But a look an' a word an' the dreams they stirred....

Also I suppose we could make the connection that Winston and Julia's love trust is also a "hopeless fancy".