Trivia: The band "Toad the Wet Sprocket" took their name from a sketch on this show.
The Spanish Inquisition - S2-E2
Trivia: In the "Semaphore version of Wuthering Heights" sketch, much of the sempaphore is nearly correct. The first two subtitled lines are "Oh. Catherine" "Oh. Heathcliff" - what is actually signalled is "Oh Oh" "Oheath". The nurse signals "SS" and the sleeping man does signal "ZZ".
Trivia: The German joke versions are spoken in an intelligible, pseudo-German gibberish (perhaps fortunate, if the joke would really work). I happen to live in Germany, and even with close scrutinizing I haven't been able to filter a meaning out of this.
Trivia: The head of comedy at the BBC said that the title had to include the word "Circus", because the people at the BBC had referred to the six cast members wandering around the BBC offices as a circus, so added "Flying" to make it sound less like a real circus and more like something out of the first world war. And in front of that, added "Monty Python" because it sounded like a really bad theatrical agent, and also the large, constricting snake was also appropriate imagery.
Trivia: The approximate wording of the German Hitler rally fragments used for the 'Pre-War Joke' is as follows: Hilter: Particularly, since none will evermore be living in Germany. Nazi: We are the young fellowship of the Reich! Hitler: Your education.
Mr. Neutron - S4-E5
Trivia: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy's author Douglas Adams appears in this episode as "the pepperpot with the missile." He also co-wrote (with Graham Chapman) the "patient abuse" sketch for the final episode.
Trivia: The 'Mouse Problem' sketch in Series 1, Show 2 (first broadcast 12/10/69) originally urged viewers who felt that they suffered from a similar affliction to phone an onscreen telephone number. This turned out to be David Frost's home number. This tale has been well documented in many places, with Frost devoting a page or two to the stream of irritating phone calls he received as a result in his autobiography. However, what is less well known is what happened next. Frost complained to the BBC and the Postmaster General, with the result that the episode was re-edited in August 1970 with new contact details and a fresh voiceover from Cleese. This was reportedly cut directly into the master tape of this episode, with the result that the original version no longer exists.
Trivia: The "Wacky Queen Victoria Sketch" which appears in the episode was, in fact, the first-ever Monty Python sketch to be recorded. It was recorded in the grounds of Ham House, Petersham, Surrey, from 9:30am on Tuesday July 8th 1969. (Source: Michael Palin's published diaries).
Trivia: A piece of animation in the episode, by Terry Gilliam, which depicted Jesus Christ crucified on a telegraph pole, attracted some controversy. So much, in fact, that it was cut for all repeats and no longer exists on the master tape.
Chosen answer: The song you talk of was originally a poem by William Blake called 'Jerusalem'. It speaks of the possibility of Jesus having visited England. The poem has four verses but you only ever hear the Monty Python boys sing the first one which goes, "And did those feet in ancient time/Walk upon England's mountains green/And was the holy Lamb of God/On England's pleasant pastures seen?" If there's any sort of in-joke connected to it's use, I'm not aware of it. It seemed to just be the standard song/hymn they used when a song was needed that wasn't sketch specific. Some of the sketches it appeared in were 'Salvation Fuzz/Church Police', 'Buying a Bed' and 'The Art Gallery Sketch'. Something that may be relevant, though, is that the only one who was present every time it was sung was Eric Idle. Perhaps he just liked it?