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 The latter are invaluable to understanding the wide ranging and often obscure historical references.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 6 October 2007

Reflections in a Flat [Back in the D.H.S.S.]

Oh darling sugar honey
When it was nice and sunny
And when I had some money
We would go and see Echo And The Bunny-men

Since I was eight I’ve loved you
Through garden gates I’ve shoved you
Then there’s the time I slashed you
And you had to go to hospital

Now you are gone forever
Shot by your uncle Trevor

My story seems so tragic
Ali Bongo’s good at contortionism
Oh he’s much better than David Nixon ever was

Ohhhhh Oohhhh Oo Ooh
Slowly I picked my life up
Now I go and pick the wife up
She works in Marks And Spencer’s
La la la Lech Walesas

When Cupid threw her last dart
You, girl, were still in my heart
I love you more than ever
Even though I married Trevor


Notes taken from www.hmhb.co.uk

Echo & The Bunnymen Liverpool band of late 70's early 80's, reformed in 1997.
Ali Bongo Conjuror/comic. Apparently directly descended from William Wallace (Ali's real name too?) of Braveheart and Stirling monument fame. Has from time to time had his own show, but basically acts as "magical advisor" to the likes of Paul Daniels, and formerly to...
David Nixon Another prestidigitator, and now dead. Looked very much like FW de Klerk.
Marks & Spencers Middle class clothes and food chain of shops. Where everyone buys their undies.
Lech Walesa Former Polish President, having risen from a trades unionist in the shipyards of Gdansk.


No comments: