Hatfield released five albums, the first three on Virgin. The five albums are: 1973's eponymous effort, 1975's The Rotters' Club, 1980's now-deleted compilation Afters (of which the new bits have been tagged onto the end of The Rotters' Club CD), 2005's radio sessions/live compilation Hatwise Choice, and 2006's radio sessions/live compilation Hattitude,. The latter two are available only from Burning Shed. The group split in 1975 because of overwhelming indifference. It re-formed briefly in 1990, and again in 2005, with the possibility of new material being issued.
The name of the band was inspired by the road signage on the main A1 road heading north from London, where the a succession of signs referred to the first major town, and the overall direction, as 'A1 Hatfield & the North'. This style of sign from the 1970s has now been replaced by a slightly different variant.
In 2005/2006, the band released two archival collections, "Hatwise Choice" and "Hattitude", both featuring the classic Miller/Pyle/Sinclair/Stewart line-up.
Pip Pyle passed away 28th August 2006, Phil Miller passed away 18th October 2017.
Mumps
Hatfield and the North Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I have minded my P's and Q's
Tried not to damage any W's
And if I tread upon a B
I'll pick it up and tell it earnestly "I'm sorry!"
Which of course I am
You mustn't upset them
Or else they'll refuse to work for you
I have minded my V's and U's
Tried to prevent them being badly used
And if I tread upon the C
I tend to sink beneath the surface gracefully
As for the task of keeping O's and K's apart
You'd be right to suppose that it is quite an art
I've trod with caution round the J's and Z's
I remain a man of letters to the end
Balancing syllables upon my knees
I've flown through the air with the greatest of E's
I did what you told me to
Now I only have I's for U
The lyrics to Hatfield and the North's song "Mumps" seem to be playful and whimsical, but actually delve into the detailed and intricate nature of writing and language. The lyrics describe the singer's care and attention to detail when it comes to using certain letters, as if they are sentient beings that must be treated kindly and with respect. The singer's dedication is such that they will apologize if they step on a letter, and they recognize the importance of keeping certain letters apart to ensure clarity and meaning in their writing. The incorporation of puns and wordplay, such as "I've flown through the air with the greatest of E's," adds to the playful tone of the song, but also emphasizes the importance of the letter "e" in the English language.
Overall, "Mumps" highlights the significance of language and the mastery it takes to effectively communicate through writing. The lyrics ask us to consider just how important the seemingly insignificant parts of language are, and to appreciate the skill and careful attention it takes to properly utilize them.
Line by Line Meaning
I have minded my P's and Q's
I have been careful with the smallest details
Tried not to damage any W's
I have tried not to ruin anything important
And if I tread upon a B
And if I make a mistake or cause harm to something small
I'll pick it up and tell it earnestly "I'm sorry!"
I will take responsibility and apologize for my mistake
Which of course I am
My apology is sincere
You mustn't upset them
You must take care not to damage small things
Or badly neglect them
Or ignore them for too long
Or else they'll refuse to work for you
Or they will no longer function as they should
I have minded my V's and U's
I have paid attention to small distinctions and details
Tried to prevent them being badly used
Attempted to use them correctly
And if I tread upon the C
If I mess up or misuse certain letters
I tend to sink beneath the surface gracefully
I am good at recovering from my mistakes
As for the task of keeping O's and K's apart
Regarding the difficult task of distinguishing similar things
You'd be right to suppose that it is quite an art
It is a skill or craft to keep them separate
I've trod with caution round the J's and Z's
I've been careful with distinguishing challenging or similar things
I remain a man of letters to the end
I will always be devoted to language
Balancing syllables upon my knees
Juggling the nuances and rhythms of language
I've flown through the air with the greatest of E's
I have mastered some aspects of language to a great degree
I did what you told me to
I followed someone's advice or instructions
Now I only have I's for U
Now there is no one else but me
Contributed by Victoria V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.