Half Man Half Biscuit Half Hearted

Half Man Half Biscuit Half Hearted

Ah yes. Why spend time typing up the lyrics to Half Man Half Biscuit songs? Because they are gems like no other. We celebrate British bands and artists for seminal musical works (think Bowie or Elvis Costello) and, unless you happen to know the late John Peel's inside leg measurement or you were enlightened as a student, the majesty, wit and sheer intelligence of the HMHB opus is ignored. Shame, shame, shame.


Over the years a number of web sites have recorded some lyrics and a multitude of research notes for the songs [see the excellent www.hmhb.co.uk]. The latter are invaluable to understanding the wide ranging and often obscure historical references. The former are a mixed bag, with only a few songs listed.


So what started out as a full hearted attempt by me to record the lyrics so my sister could understand the songs has developed into a blog post and a project to educate the half-hearted masses and to provide a definitive song list with lyrics.

They'll be other crap on here too such as my own songs "Progressive Dads", "People called Wilson", "Blog-proof iPod", "Armchair Expert" and "Holistically Challenged"- I need to finish writing them first :)

"...Baby I'm from the Wirral Peninsula.
A merciless despot with nothing to lose"

Monkey Man, June 2007

Please note that all lyrics are mostly my interpretation and are presented here to assist you in understanding the songs. They are the copyright of others.

You should also pay a visit to www.chrisrand.com/hmhb/ for HMHB lyrics - a superb site with a superb range of listings

Saturday 23 June 2007

Christian Rock Concert [McIntyre, Treadmore and Davitt]

And at the post-fest lig I saw
Ten thousand people maybe more
I said that I was from Kerrang
I steamed into the throng and sang

Get thee behind me Stryper
I've played your records backwards
I've seen your antics in the Green Room

Into the main marquee I walked
The coke was coke
and the tongue was forked
the Rural Dean lay inert
In his John 3:16 tee-shirt

Get thee behind me Stryper
I've played your records backwards
I've seen your antics in the Green Room

The body of Shane Fenton
is in the laundry chute of the
New Ambassadors Hotel
near Euston Station

Get thee behind me Stryper
I've played your records backwards
I've seen your antics in the Green Room

Then after the fire we're a mess on the floor
Drunk in a tented village
The Grand Leviathan of the white wedding scene
Drunk in a tented village
Wendy Wimbush on a Space Hopper was
Drunk in a tented village

All things bright and beautiful
We're drunk in a tented village


Notes from www.hmhb.co.uk ...I saw, 10,000 people maybe more... :from Sounds of Silence, Simon & Garfunkel, some of their earlier songs had religious overtones. Kerrang! Magazine for those who think Ozzy Osborne is an intellectual. Stryper A god squad rock band "Her rural Dean lay inert, in his John 3:16 T-Shirt" Rural Dean Clergyman exercising supervision over group of parochial clergy within division of archdeaconry, apparently due thanks to COD); John 3:16 One of the most famous verses of the bible. If you ever watch ski-ing, or bobsleighing from European snow, you ALWAYS see people wearing them, often banners at footie matches contain it too. The verse reads For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. See also below... played your records backwards Satanic references in rock records etc. The Green Room Multiple meanings here. The hospitality room where guests prepare (get wasted) before telly interviews is called The Green Room. However, it is also the title of White Metal's (another Christian Rock band) fan magazine. John 3:16 may well be one of their album titles as they named them after verses in the bible. They also stopped the God Squad stuff eventually and became merely a normal rock band. Great. Wendy Wimbush Scorer for BBC cricket spacehopper a big orange inflatable ball thing with two horns/ears which you grabbed and bounced up and down on. Honestly. Can usually be found in attics, sheds, somewhere at the bottom of the garden. Very 1972-ish. Victor Lewis-Smith claims that spacehoppers influenced his sexual technique. Backwards bit says "The body of Shane Fenton is in the laundry chute of the New Ambassador's hotel near Euston Station" or something similar. Shane Fenton (or is that Notnef Enahs?) is of course legendary 70's glamster Alvin Stardust, the Gary Glitter lookalike who initially appeared in "Hollyoaks" on C4 and can now (3/97) be seen advertising lottery scratchcards.

No comments: