… Read Full Bio ↴Ian Dury (1942-2000) was an English singer, songwriter, and bandleader.
Born on 12th May 1942, he is best known as founder and lead singer of the British band Ian Dury and the Blockheads, though he began his musical career in pub-rock act Kilburn & the High Roads. He wrote many famous songs including "Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick", "What a Waste", and "Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll". He died on 27th March 2000.
At the age of seven, Dury contracted polio; very likely, he believed, from a swimming pool at Southend on Sea during the 1949 polio epidemic. After six weeks in a full plaster cast in Truro hospital, he was moved to Black Notley Hospital, Braintree, Essex, where he spent a year and a half before going to Chailey Heritage Craft School, East Sussex, in 1951. Chailey was a school and hospital for disabled children, and believed in toughening them up, contributing to the observant and determined person Dury became.
Clevor Trever
Ian Dury Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nothing worth having
Never ever, never ever
You ain't got no call not to think
I wouldn't fall
Into thinking that
I ain't too clever
One thing nor another
Neither, either is it anything, whatever
And it's not not knowing that
There ain't nothing showing
And I answer to the name
Of Trever, however
Just 'cause I ain't never said, no,
Nothing worth saying
Never ever, never ever, never ever
Things â??ave got read into what I never sad,
'Til me mouth becomes me â??ead
Which ain't not all that clever
And it's not not saying
One thing nor another
Neither, either is it anything
I haven't said, whatever
And it ain't not proving
That me mind ain't moving
And I answer to the name
Of Trever, however
Knock me down with a feather
Clever Trevor
Widebrows wonder whether
Clever Trevor's clever
Either have they got
Nor neither haven't not
Got no right to make a clot
Out of Trevor
Why should I feel bad
About something I ain't â??ad
Such stupidness is mad
'Cause nothing underfoot
Comes to nothing less to add
To a load of old toot
And I ain't half not half
'Cause there's nowhere to put it
Even if I â??ad I'm a bit of a Jack the Lad
Knock me down with a feather
Clever Trevor
Widebrows wonder whether
Clever Trevor's clever
Either have they got
Nor neither haven't not
Got no right to make a clot
Out of Trevor
Also, it takes much longer
To get up north, the slow way
The lyrics to Ian Dury's song Clevor Trever use clever wordplay and a unique blend of Cockney and Jamaican accents to convey a message of self-acceptance and defiance in the face of societal pressure to conform to certain standards of intelligence or success. The song is written from the perspective of Trevor, a character who is often underestimated and dismissed by others because of his lack of traditional accomplishments or communication skills. Trevor acknowledges that he has never had anything "worth having" or said anything "worth saying," but he refuses to let this define him or diminish his self-worth. Instead, he asserts that he is "clever" in his own way, and that others have no right to judge or belittle him just because he does not fit into their narrow definition of intelligence or success.
The repetition of phrases like "never ever" and "not not" adds to the playful and irreverent tone of the song, as does the use of double negatives and purposely misspelled words. The line "knock me down with a feather" is a common English idiom that means to be surprised or amazed, and it underscores Trevor's defiance in the face of others' expectations. Overall, the lyrics to Clevor Trever are a celebration of individuality, resilience, and the power of language to subvert social norms and expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
Just 'cause I ain't never â??ad, no, Nothing worth having Never ever, never ever You ain't got no call not to think
I never had anything substantial before; it doesn't mean you shouldn't consider me for who I am
I wouldn't fall Into thinking that I ain't too clever And it ain't not having One thing nor another Neither, either is it anything, whatever And it's not not knowing that There ain't nothing showing And I answer to the name Of Trever, however
Don't assume I'm not clever because I don't have anything tangible; it's not due to a lack of something specific. Also, there isn't anything proving that I'm not intelligent, and my name is Trevor.
Just 'cause I ain't never said, no, Nothing worth saying Never ever, never ever, never ever Things â??ave got read into what I never sad, 'Til me mouth becomes me â??ead Which ain't not all that clever And it's not not saying One thing nor another Neither, either is it anything I haven't said, whatever And it ain't not proving That me mind ain't moving And I answer to the name Of Trever, however
Just because I haven't said anything noteworthy doesn't mean I don't have thoughts; sometimes people assume things about me that aren't true. Even though I haven't said much, I'm still capable of thinking and processing information. Also, my name is Trevor.
Knock me down with a feather Clever Trevor Widebrows wonder whether Clever Trevor's clever Either have they got Nor neither haven't not Got no right to make a clot Out of Trevor
People call me clever, but some are skeptical if I actually am. It's not their place to judge me, though.
Why should I feel bad About something I ain't â??ad Such stupidness is mad 'Cause nothing underfoot Comes to nothing less to add To a load of old toot And I ain't half not half 'Cause there's nowhere to put it Even if I â??ad I'm a bit of a Jack the Lad
I don't feel bad about not having anything substantial to say because it's meaningless. I don't have anything to add to the conversation or even if I did, I wouldn't know where to put it, and I'm just an average Joe.
Also, it takes much longer To get up north, the slow way
By the way, traveling to the northern part of England is a long journey regardless of how you get there.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHAZ JANKEL, IAN ROBINS DURY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind