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 The latter are invaluable to understanding the wide ranging and often obscure historical references.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, 30 June 2007

Let's Not [McIntyre, Dreadmore and Davitt]

Me and my motor neurone
We just want to be on our own
Without Ian ‘Sludge' Lees

Let's not go out tonight
There's a great film on tonight
About a couple on a caravan holiday
With Peter Grummitas an acid casualty
It's set in Norfolk and it's called
"Godzilla eats Diss"

Don't know much about the Highway Code
And I've never read 'On The Road'
I don't read I just memorise names
So I can stagger through bohemian games

And I'm going nowhere really slow
The last man who went to mow- oh

Come on into my world
Where everything is done without Carla Lane
Come into my world where Vanburn Holder
joins a local grindcore outfit

All my dreams are nondescript
In nothing-much-next-to-sea
I saw Jesus but he didn't see me
If looks could kill I'd be alright
Oh let there be light

Come on into my world
Where everything is done without Carla Lane
Come on into my world
Where Vanburn Holder
joins a local grindcore outfit

Come on into my world (x4)

Where Vanburn Holder
joins
a local grindcore outfit
Where everything is done without Carla Lane
A world in which Grant Baynham
burns in front of his children

Come on into my world
Come on into my world

Where everything is done without Carta Lane

Come on into my world
Where Vanburn Holder joins
a local grindcore outfit


Notes taken from www.hmhb.co.uk

motor neurone as immortalized in Motor Neurone Disease which is what killed David Niven you know!
Ian "Sludge" Lees A terrible comic who appeared on "Tiswas" several times, with huge Afro hairdo.
Peter Grummit Well travelled 70's goalie, played for Sheff Wed and Grimsby Town amongst others.
Diss Norfolk town (on the A47, no less). Their footy team won the FA Vase in the not-too-distant past.
Highway Code a wish-fulfilment statement by the Department of Transport.
On The Road Hip novel about taking drugs and driving around the USA in the 50's, by Jack Kerouac.
"... man who went to mow" from nursery rhyme/song "One man and his dog".
Carla Lane Once upon a time a housewife from Liverpool started writing sit-coms. She wrote The Liver Birds, which was patchy but had its moments (see I Hate Nerys Hughes). She wrote Butterflies which was drippy but quite funny. Then she wrote sentimental and unfunny todge like Solo, Screaming, The Mistress and particularly the appallingly unfunny Bread and the frankly shite Luv.
Vanburn Holder Mid-70's West Indian medium-fast bowler, now an umpire.
Grant Baynham Bespectacled presenter of That's Life for 4 years.
Nothing-much-next-the-Sea Play on Wells-next-the-sea, Clay-next-the-sea, Norfolk seaside resorts. Probably highly descriptive of the places.

2 comments:

biziclop said...

"Mean nothing much next-to-sea" should be "In Nothing-much-next-the-sea" instead.

(Great site, tho :))

EskimoEric said...

Cheers Biziclop,

That typo slipped through.

:)

MM