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.
Panic
Frank Sidebottom Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There′s panic on the streets of Timperley
Between the post office car torque and NatWest Bank
Where the council came and chopped a great big tree down
And I've just finished filming
The title sequence for me fantastic shed show
When the four hundred year old copper beech
Became the victim of a freak blustery-windy-thingy
Oh it annoyed the Yorkshire film crew
Because it′s spoilt the continuity
And the producer was mad just like a rock'n'roll dad
(I mean mum!)
Hey it′s lunch time
So
To the Naked Child to drink some fantastic half shandy
And the jukebox that constantly plays
Played absolutely nothing cause it′s bust
So hail the bobbins barman
To get the landlord's tandy ghetto blaster
And his selection of audio cassettes
Of presenters illegally taped off Radio 1
Without the aid of a PRS license
But the see-through band played one at random
And when I heard it I just couldn′t believe
It was Anne the DJ, Anne the DJ of Radio 1
I could just drink another half
I could murder a meat pie now
(Get us one, will ya?)
"Time, gentlemen please!"
(I'll take it home.)
From the East Way shops to Baguley Brook
You′ll never see a poster of our favourite discey-jock
(Radio 1)
(Anne the DJ)
Oh Anne Nightingale what's your blinking game?!
I waited for your roadshow but your roadshow never came
And guess who I blame
Anne the DJ, Anne the DJ
You know she is
She really is
Thank you!
The lyrics of Frank Sidebottom's song "Panic" describe a chaotic situation in the town of Timperley. The panic on the streets is caused by a series of events, starting with a great tree being chopped down by the council. This incident disrupts the filming of the singer's shed show, which had just finished shooting its title sequence. The destruction of the ancient copper beech is blamed on a freaky gust of wind.
The disturbance annoys the Yorkshire film crew as it hampers the continuity of their work. The producer, who is compared to a rock'n'roll dad (or mum), is furious about the unexpected hiccup. However, it is lunchtime, and the singer decides to visit the Naked Child pub for a fantastic half shandy. Unfortunately, the jukebox is broken and doesn't play any music.
To fix the situation, the barman calls the landlord, who brings out his ghetto blaster and a collection of illegally taped audio cassettes with Radio 1 presenters. The singer emphasizes that these recordings were made without a PRS license. To everyone's surprise, one of the tapes randomly plays a recording by Anne, a DJ from Radio 1. The singer expresses disbelief upon hearing her voice.
The song then shifts focus to the absence of Anne Nightingale's roadshow. The singer expresses disappointment and blames Anne for not showing up as expected. The lyrics end with an acknowledgment that Anne Nightingale is, indeed, the DJ being referred to throughout the song, followed by a thank you.
Overall, the song portrays a comical and slightly absurd situation of various mishaps and frustrations, highlighting the influence of seemingly insignificant events on people's experiences and expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh!
Expressing surprise or exclamation
There's panic on the streets of Timperley
There is chaos and unrest in the town of Timperley
Between the post office car torque and NatWest Bank
In the area between the post office car park and NatWest Bank
Where the council came and chopped a great big tree down
The council cut down a large tree
And I've just finished filming
I have recently completed filming
The title sequence for me fantastic shed show
The opening credits for my amazing show about sheds
When the four hundred year old copper beech
Referring to the ancient copper beech tree
Became the victim of a freak blustery-windy-thingy
Succumbed to an unexpected gusty wind
Oh it annoyed the Yorkshire film crew
The film crew from Yorkshire was greatly irritated
Because it's spoilt the continuity
It disrupted the flow and consistency
And the producer was mad just like a rock'n'roll dad
The producer was angry, resembling a rebellious and eccentric parent
(I mean mum!)
Referring to the producer as a female instead
Hey it's lunch time
It's time for lunch
So
Therefore
To the Naked Child to drink some fantastic half shandy
Go to the Naked Child pub to enjoy a great half beer and lemonade
And the jukebox that constantly plays
The jukebox that is always in use
Played absolutely nothing cause it's bust
Did not play any music because it's broken
So hail the bobbins barman
Cheers to the barman at the bobbins bar
To get the landlord's tandy ghetto blaster
Retrieve the landlord's cheap portable radio
And his selection of audio cassettes
And his collection of cassette tapes
Of presenters illegally taped off Radio 1
Recordings of radio presenters from Radio 1 made without permission
Without the aid of a PRS license
Without a proper license from PRS (Performing Rights Society)
But the see-through band played one at random
However, the translucent band played a random cassette
And when I heard it I just couldn't believe
When I listened to it, I was in disbelief
It was Anne the DJ, Anne the DJ of Radio 1
The tape featured Anne, the DJ from Radio 1
I could just drink another half
I could enjoy another half beer
I could murder a meat pie now
I really crave a meat pie at the moment
(Get us one, will ya?)
(Can you fetch one for me, please?)
"Time, gentlemen please!"
"Closing time, gentlemen!"
(I'll take it home.)
(I'll bring it home with me.)
From the East Way shops to Baguley Brook
From the shops on East Way to Baguley Brook
You'll never see a poster of our favourite discey-jock
You will never find a poster of our beloved disco jockey
(Radio 1)
(Referring to Radio 1)
(Anne the DJ)
(Referring to Anne, the DJ)
Oh Anne Nightingale what's your blinking game?!
Oh Anne Nightingale, what is your mysterious plan?
I waited for your roadshow but your roadshow never came
I anticipated your roadshow, but it never happened
And guess who I blame
And guess who I hold responsible
Anne the DJ, Anne the DJ
Anne, the DJ from Radio 1
You know she is
You know she is
She really is
She truly is
Thank you!
Expressing gratitude or appreciation
Writer(s): Steven Patrick Morrissey, Johnny Marr
Contributed by Jeremiah L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.