The character was instantly recognisable by his spherical head, styled like an early Max Fleischer cartoon. This was initially made from papier-mâché, but later rebuilt out of fibreglass.
Frank, usually dressed in a 1950s-style sharp suit, was portrayed as an aspiring pop star from the village of Timperley near Altrincham, Greater Manchester. His character was optimistic, enthusiastic, and seemingly unaware of his failings. Although seemingly middle-aged, he still lived at home with his mother, to whom he made frequent references. His mother was apparently unaware of her son's popularity. Frank sometimes had a sidekick in the form of "Little Frank", a hand puppet who was otherwise a perfect copy of Frank.
Comedy character Mrs Merton started out as Frank's sidekick on his radio show "Radio Timperley", and the similarity of the characters is evident, exuding a sense of great ambition which belies a domestic lifestyle in the north of England. Sidebottom's former "Oh Blimey Big Band" members include Mark Radcliffe and Jon Ronson, and his driver was Chris Evans.
Hit the North
Frank Sidebottom Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My Cat says eeeee-ack
Hit the North
95% of hayseeds are corn-pones, guaranteed
Computers infest the hotels
Cops can't catch criminals
But what the heck, they're not too bad, they talk to God
Religious
Hit the North
Manacled to the city, manacled to the city
All estate agents alive yell down nights in hysterical breath
Those Northern lights, so pretty
Those big big big wide streets
Those useless MPs
Savages
Hit the North (Manacled to the system)
From the back third eye psyche, the reflected mirror of delirium
Eastender and Victoria's lager, the induced call, mysterious
Comes
Forth
Hit the North
(Savages)
Hit the North
The lyrics to Frank Sidebottom's "Hit the North" are difficult to interpret, as they appear to be a collection of somewhat disconnected thoughts and observations. The song opens with the line "My Cat says eeeee-ack," which is somewhat nonsensical and not immediately relevant to the rest of the song. The next line, "Hit the North," serves as the song's refrain and suggests a call to action or a rallying cry of some sort.
The subsequent lines mention the prevalence of rural stereotypes ("95% of hayseeds are corn-pones"), the infiltration of technology into everyday life ("Computers infest the hotels"), and the potential shortcomings of law enforcement ("Cops can't catch criminals"). The line "they talk to God" could be interpreted as a criticism of religious authority, suggesting that those in power are more concerned with appeasing a higher power than with fulfilling their duties.
The next section of the song mentions being "manacled to the city" and highlights the frantic pace of urban life, with estate agents "yell[ing] down nights in hysterical breath." There is an acknowledgement of the beauty of the Northern Lights and wide streets, but this is immediately followed by a condemnation of "useless MPs."
The song's final lines are perhaps the most opaque, referring to a "back third eye psyche" and the "reflected mirror of delirium." There are further references to alcohol (specifically Victoria's Lager) and the mysterious call to action that the song seems to be building towards is repeated: "Hit the North."
Line by Line Meaning
Hit the North
Let's go to the North
My Cat says eeeee-ack
Something is wrong or alarming
Hit the North
Let's go back to the North
95% of hayseeds are corn-pones, guaranteed
Most people in rural areas are uneducated and easily fooled
Computers infest the hotels
Technology is taking over our lives
Cops can't catch criminals
The police are ineffectual
But what the heck, they're not too bad, they talk to God
Despite their flaws, the police still have a sense of morality
Hit the North
Let's go to the North
Manacled to the city, manacled to the city
Feeling trapped in urban life
All estate agents alive yell down nights in hysterical breath
Real estate agents are pushy and unscrupulous
Those Northern lights, so pretty
Admiration for the natural beauty of the North
Those big big big wide streets
Appreciation for spacious roadways in the North
Those useless MPs
Disillusionment with political leaders
Savages
People can be cruel and uncivilized
Hit the North (Manacled to the system)
Let's escape from the constraints of society
From the back third eye psyche, the reflected mirror of delirium
A surreal description of the mind's inner workings
Eastender and Victoria's lager, the induced call, mysterious
Allusions to working-class British culture and the allure of alcohol
Comes Forth
Surfaces or manifests
Hit the North (Savages)
Let's go to the North despite its harshness and brutality
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Brix Smith, Mark E Smith, Simon Alan Rogers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Chris A.
Apparently Mark E Smith thinks this is better than his own version. Good old Mark. He's right of course.
mioufie23
I thought Mark E Smith WAS Frank Sidebottom, but Frank's head wasn't big enough.
AwesomeBill FromDawsomeville
fucking brilliant lol. looks like a fun good show to be at in person for sure
92RedRevolver
Thank you for uploading this, Frank never fails to make me feel better.
jiffcat
lord love him, all that is bril and ace in one guy. Fantastic skill.
Brassneck
Love Frank his Christmas shows were the best :)
Jose Patel
May God bless Chris, God love The Fall and all hail Manchester City FC. The three combined makes me feel very priveledged to be from Manchester.
Chris A.
Two outta three aint bad. Manchester is RED. :-)
Leila Marshall
Don,t forget the mighty Manchester United !!
WickerAndroid
Frank and Mark.....like their traditional English names are now but a reminder of better,more innocent days. RIP lads.