“We’ve got Sebadoh’s and Docs”
So… what do we know about Docs?
The A to Z of HMHB
The A to Z of HMHB
There are 14 Half Man Half Biscuit albums, plus two roundup compilations, as well as 4 EPs and a handful of one-off songs. No 'Greatest Hits'. Indulge yourself by starting here.
In which we chose the nation's favourite Half Man Half Biscuit song. For the next four years, anyway.
Search for any lyric, reference, song title ...whatever.
The Half Man Half Biscuit Lyrics Project website © 2007—2021 Chris Rand • All lyrics are the property of their owners
Site Home • Top of Page • About/Contact
Featureless tv producer steve
This is one of those HMHB songs that completes eludes your average American here, but from the picture I can assume “Docs” means Dr. Martens boots, which I do know at least a little something about. They were Pete Townshend’s performance footwear of choice during much of The Who’s early career, and are mentioned in his masterful (albeit tragically overlooked and under-appreciated) 1982 solo album All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes, in the brilliant song “Uniforms”:
Wear your braces round your seat
Doctor Martens on your feet
Keep your barnet very neat
For credibility on the street
Yes, Pete Townshend referenced “street cred” a decade or two before rappers started obsessing about it. He also predicted the advent of the Internet two decades before it happened, for those of you who aren’t familiar with Lifehouse.
Okay, I’ll get my coat.
27 August 2014
BananaYogi
As a big fan of a aforementioned footwear (because my ankles are seemingly made of tissue paper. And I still think DMs are ‘cool’), there used to be a brilliant shop in Bedford called Williams where they would sell ‘seconds’ from the factory, which was fairly local (just over the border in Northants). They also used to sell the factory samples, some of which were never commercially produced. Very sadly, the factory closed in the early 2000s and production moved to China, so the supply dried up and the shop is now closed. The boots are also much less adventurous than they were (at least in men’s sizes!).
Also defunct is Rushden and Diamonds Football Club which was funded to the tune of £20m by Max Griggs (the then Doc Martens owner). He handed it over to the supporters, who couldn’t make it pay. The rather nice ground (Nene Park) is now empty, having also been used by Kettering Town for a while. Amusingly (or not) the club was called ‘Rubbish and Dustbins’ by local rivals Northampton Town. There used to be a DMs outlet in the ground.
27 August 2014
Bobby SVARC
Doctor Marten gave his boots to the world so that everybody could be free
27 August 2014
EXXO
Note to casuals and scallies everywhere: you were the only ones that thought trainers and jeans were cool as terrace attire during the Thatcher era – everyone else thought you looked like an overgrown kid so please stop mythologising your horrible Stan Smiths, etc.
Docs (other proper shoes were available) were more comfortable and more weatherproof as well as remaining far more ‘sub-culture’ (during that era) than any terrace fanzine could ever be, and meant you could do grown-up things after the match, gigs parties, etc and generally talk to grown-ups.
27 August 2014
Bobby SVARC
If you were a proper late sixties skin on the kop then you’d have 10 hole in cherry red. when we play Forest a razor was often used as well.
27 August 2014
Chris quinn
Alexei Sayle released a song called “Doctor Martins Boots” which I think was a follow-up to “Ello John”
Dr Martin’s real name was Maerten
31 August 2014
Bobby SVARC
Radical Posture
31 August 2014
BananaYogi
@ Chris Quinn
It’s Martens with an E not Martins with an I.
IIRC Doctor (Bob) Martin’s products were fleas powders and similar for pets.
1 September 2014
Half Matt, half Byrne
I’ve got a lovely pair of cobalt blue Docs with yellow stitching and they go perfectly with my 99/00 Parma away top.
6 May 2020