… 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.
Common as Muck
Ian Dury Lyrics
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I'm not Jack Palance
I'm not Shirley Temple
On any circumstance
Or Fred Astaire
You're not Sydney Taphler
I'm not Dirk Bogarde
And you're not avant garde
Or Lionel Blair
We're as common as muck
Bonne chance, viel glück, good luck
Where bold is beautiful we don't give a damn
Love a duck we're as common as muck
You're not Victor Hugo
I'm not Patience Strong
I'm not Rodney Rygate
Or Evonne Goolagong
Shirley Abicair
I'm not Nelly Melba
You're not Nelly Dean
We do our best endeavours
To keep our doobries clean
'Cause we care!
We're as common as muck
Buona fortuna, vayas con Dios, good luck
Where bold is beautiful we don't give a damn
Love a duck we're as common as muck
We're as common as muck
Bonne chance, viel glück, good luck
Where bold is beautiful we don't give a damn
Love a duck we're as common as muck
The lyrics to Ian Dury's song Common As Muck celebrates the common man, rejecting the idea that only the rich and famous are worth celebrating. The song is filled with allusions to famous personalities - Brigitte Bardot, Jack Palance, and Shirley Temple among others - and contrasts them to the average person. Dury sings that he and his partner are not stylish or avant-garde but rather just ordinary people who take care of their surroundings. Despite not being famous, they embrace who they are and value what they have.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the theme of the song, celebrating the common man with lines like "Where bold is beautiful we don't give a damn" and "Love a duck we're as common as muck." Dury sings in various languages - English, French, German, and Spanish - to emphasize the universality of his message.
Overall, the lyrics to Common As Muck celebrate the idea that every individual has value, and that being ordinary is something to be proud of. It's a message of self-acceptance and community that resonates with audiences to this day.
Line by Line Meaning
You're not Brigitte Bardot
I am not an icon of beauty.
I'm not Jack Palance
I am not an iconic Hollywood actor.
I'm not Shirley Temple
I am not a beloved child actress.
On any circumstance
No matter what situation arises.
Or Fred Astaire
I am not a famous dancer like Fred Astaire.
You're not Sydney Taphler
You are not a well-known figure like Sydney Taphler.
I'm not Dirk Bogarde
I am not a famous actor like Dirk Bogarde.
I'm not very stylish
I am not very fashionable.
And you're not avant garde
You are not ahead of the current fashion.
Or Lionel Blair
You are not a famous dancer and choreographer like Lionel Blair.
We're as common as muck
We are ordinary and unremarkable people.
Bonne chance, viel glück, good luck
Wishing good luck in different languages.
Where bold is beautiful we don't give a damn
We don't care for the trend of being bold and beautiful.
Love a duck we're as common as muck
We are as common as one could be.
You're not Victor Hugo
You are not a literary genius like Victor Hugo.
I'm not Patience Strong
I am not a famous poet like Patience Strong.
I'm not Rodney Rygate
I am not a famous artist like Rodney Rygate.
Or Evonne Goolagong
You are not a famous tennis player like Evonne Goolagong.
Shirley Abicair
A reference to a performer from the 60s, equating to 'or anybody else'.
I'm not Nelly Melba
I am not a famous opera singer like Nellie Melba.
You're not Nelly Dean
You are not a character from Wuthering Heights like Nelly Dean.
We do our best endeavours
We try our best.
To keep our doobries clean
To keep ourselves clean, neat and tidy.
'Cause we care!
Because we take pride in ourselves.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHAZ JANKEL, DAVID STANLEY PAYNE, IAN ROBINS DURY, STANLEY PAYNE DAVID
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind