“This town was tailor made for dying in”
– False Grit discussed
Ongoing chat about the lyrics to Half Man Half Biscuit's 2014 song False Grit from Urge For Offal. Got differing opinions on what the lyrics are? Want to make any observations about any of them? Feel free to contribute your thoughts, and be as pedantic as you like.
Thanks to Mark A, John A, Aiwacat and Peter T for the original lyrics transcription effort.
✉ Letters Sent (23)
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(10 years ago by Dave Wiggins)
John AndErson
It sounds to me like Rodney and Lynsey are “on the ale” rather than “on the air” and took the 7.9 to mean the alcohol content of a very strong beer.
27 October 2014
EXXO
‘Tailor-made’ is another of Des’ legally-protected compound adjectives.
27 October 2014
EXXO
While Ontong’s firstc-lass batting and bowling averages were both around the 30 mark, I’ve got to wonder if 7.9 could be runs-per-over (so far, or required) when De Paul is bowling such a wayward line on such a tricky wicket?
27 October 2014
acidic regulator
I didn’t get the title at once. IMO, the antithesis of True Grit.
27 October 2014
Mr galbraith
I agree with John Anderson, I also took the 7.9 to be a reference to the strength of ale being drunk.
27 October 2014
EXXO
True, Mike (with affection). And in case anyone didn’t realise, the title is playing on false stereotypes of ‘gritty northern towns’ in TV progs, hence ‘False Grit’.
But how do the false gritters get to work you ask? They usually meet a bloke who writes the odd episode of ‘Casualty’ and ‘Doctors’ at a dinner party, get introduced to his agent and have a go at a few of those and do the odd Radio 4 Drama starring Maxine Peake.
27 October 2014
acidic regulator
+1 for tailor-made
+1 for ale
Anyone any idea what the Haynes Manual might be needed for? Mending Rodney Ontong’s knee?
The way NB10 shifts the “-ing in” rhymes around within those four lines is masterly.
27 October 2014
acidic regulator
“There are questions in corners of my mind that lurk
Like how do the road gritters get to work
Answer me that and you could win a cruise”
27 October 2014
EXXO
Jees soz Mike that sounds horribly arsey that last posts of mine despite the genuine “with affection”.
27 October 2014
Dr Desperate
“The Haynes” in this instance might be Toby, jobbing director on ‘Sherlock’, Doctor Who’, and ‘Hollyoaks’, as well as ‘Five Days’ with Suranne Jones as DC Laurie Franklin. NB10 does seem to be developing a penchant for memorising TV credits.
27 October 2014
EXXO
Interesting that Suranne gets a mention, when 2-3 years ago the likes of Julie Goodyear and Bill Roche were getting run-outs in ‘A Country Practice’, a number which has occasionally acted as a bit of a pre-season run-out for new ideas.
27 October 2014
acidic regulator
‘Jees soz Mike that sounds horribly arsey that last posts of mine despite the genuine “with affection”.’
(Storing that one in case I might ever need it, hehehe. Either for intent or for spelling or for grammar >:)
At the current rate, I think 17,000 could be possible by the weekend after next.
28 October 2014
G100
+1 for ale
28 October 2014
George yardley
The curse strikes again! LDP RIP
28 October 2014
Dr Desperate
Tailor-made ale.
28 October 2014
acidic regulator
Preferably Timothy Taylor-made ale.
28 October 2014
amoco cadiz
Should Cupcakes and clichés not be Cupcakes And Clichés, as in the name of the new drama for Spring? It seems to me to be a play on the likes of Jam And Jerusalem, although in this case undoubtedly pencilled in for the prime time 9 o’clock on ITV slot.
16 November 2014
THe drummer out of flintlock
I’d agree with that.
16 November 2014
Dr Desperate
I’d be inclined to keep clichés uncapitalised (though I would spell cupcakes as one word).
17 November 2014
Dave Proud
Cupcakes and Clichés is definitely the title of a pending 9 O’clock slotter. The sort of thing where those bitter ex-soap stars thought they could go on and do other things aside. The kingdom of the bland…a pet hate of mine and another jolly good reason for me to continually revel in the splendour of NB10s observational wittery.
22 December 2014
Mr.X
Rodney Ontong was on the MCC Groundstaff at the same time as a certain I.T. Botham. They lived together during this time. Ontong’s son Justin was unwittingly a part of the South Africa Race Quota System when he was selected to make his Test debut against Australia in 2001-02. He was stand in captain for the Proteas in a T20 International v West Indies in 2015
12 July 2015
mr squires
According to Wikipedia (I know…), Rodney and Justin Ontong are not related.
Also, is it worth pointing out that LDP was teetotal? Probably not.
8 March 2017
Dave WigGins
Mickey Bradley of The Undertones played this on his radio show yesterday.
15 March 2017