… 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.
D'Orine the Cow
Ian Dury Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm D'Orine the Cow, Tom the Bull's better half
My daughter's called Daisy, she's a very nice calf
When I'm all finished milking and chewing the cud
Mr. Meatface the butcher will be after my blood
Cos I'm D'Orine Cow
I'm somebody's quarter-pound hamburger bun
And somebody's trousers now
*Baa!*
I'm Lofty the Lamb from the heart of the shire
My texture's too coarse for your fashion attire
So soon I'll be bound for the abattoir's slab
Slaughtered and frozen for doner kebab
Cos I'm Lofty the Lamb
I'm Lofty the Lamb
I seem to have gambolled my short life away
I'm a sandwich instead of a ram
*Cluck-cluck! Cluck-cluck!*
I'm Mary the Chicken, the result of research
In the dark with no feathers and wedged on this perch
Pieces go missing when chickens collide
Oh bury my bones with your Kentucky Fried
Cos I'm Mary the Chicken
I'm Mary the Chicken
You wouldn't eat me if you knew where I'd been
You'd be heart-stricken
*Grunt!*
I'm Jonathon Pig and I'm fearsomely stout
From the tip of my tail to the snuff of my snout
I'm too fat to move and I'm too young to die
So think about me next time you eat a pork-pie
Cos I'm Jonathon Pig
I'm Jonathon Pig
My ears have gone into the sausage machine
And so has my thingumajig
My thingumajig
The lyrics to Ian Dury's song "D'Orine the Cow" are a satirical commentary on the fate of various animals in the food industry. Each verse introduces a different animal character, highlighting their current state and ultimately their destiny as food.
In the first verse, D'Orine the Cow introduces herself as the wife of Tom the Bull and the mother of Daisy the calf. However, she acknowledges that once she is done with her role as a milk provider and ruminator, she will be pursued by Mr. Meatface the butcher. This indicates that her fate will be to become a quarter-pound hamburger bun and someone's trousers. This verse reflects the reality of cows being raised for beef and dairy products, as well as the dehumanization and commodification of animals.
Next, Lofty the Lamb expresses his fate as he comes from the "heart of the shire," which alludes to the countryside. He mentions that his texture is too coarse for fashionable attire, indicating that he will meet his inevitable end in the abattoir, where he will be slaughtered and frozen for a doner kebab. This verse reflects the reality of lambs being raised for meat, as well as the disregard for individuality and life in the food industry.
Mary the Chicken, in the following verse, describes herself as a result of research, suggesting that she is a genetically modified chicken. She reveals that she is featherless and wedged on a perch, indicating the cruel conditions in which factory-farmed chickens are often kept. She mentions that pieces go missing when chickens collide, hinting at the inhumane practices of chicken farming. Her fate is to have her bones buried in someone's Kentucky Fried Chicken meal, further emphasizing the connection between her existence and fast food consumption.
Finally, Jonathan Pig describes himself as fearsomely stout and too fat to move, indicating his life in confinement as a factory-farmed pig. He mentions that his ears have gone into the sausage machine, implying that even parts of his body are used in processed meat products. His "thingumajig" or genitals are also referenced to highlight the dehumanizing nature of the industry. This verse exposes the harsh reality of pigs raised for meat and the lack of consideration for their well-being.
Overall, the lyrics of "D'Orine the Cow" serve as a satirical critique of the food industry and its treatment of animals, provoking listeners to consider the ethics and consequences of their dietary choices.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm D'Orine the Cow, Tom the Bull's better half
I am D'Orine Cow, the female counterpart to Tom the Bull, who is superior to me in some way
My daughter's called Daisy, she's a very nice calf
I have a daughter named Daisy, who is a kind and pleasant young cow
When I'm all finished milking and chewing the cud
After I am done being milked and ruminating on my food
Mr. Meatface the butcher will be after my blood
The butcher known as Mr. Meatface will be seeking to slaughter me for my meat
Cos I'm D'Orine Cow
Because I am D'Orine Cow
I'm D'Orine the Cow
I am D'Orine Cow
I'm somebody's quarter-pound hamburger bun
I am the bread that holds together someone's quarter-pound hamburger
And somebody's trousers now
And now I have been transformed into someone's pants
I'm Lofty the Lamb from the heart of the shire
I am Lofty the Lamb, originated from the central area of the countryside
My texture's too coarse for your fashion attire
My wool is too rough for your stylish clothing
So soon I'll be bound for the abattoir's slab
Therefore, I will soon be taken to the slaughterhouse to be prepared for consumption
Slaughtered and frozen for doner kebab
Where I will be killed, frozen, and used as filling for a doner kebab
Cos I'm Lofty the Lamb
Because I am Lofty the Lamb
I'm Lofty the Lamb
I am Lofty the Lamb
I seem to have gambolled my short life away
I appear to have spent my brief existence frolicking and playing
I'm a sandwich instead of a ram
Now, I have become a filling between bread slices, rather than fulfilling my purpose as a breeding male sheep
I'm Mary the Chicken, the result of research
I am Mary the Chicken, produced as a result of scientific experimentation
In the dark with no feathers and wedged on this perch
Confined in darkness, without feathers, and stuck on this uncomfortable perch
Pieces go missing when chickens collide
Body parts get lost when chickens collide with each other
Oh bury my bones with your Kentucky Fried
Please bury my remains along with your Kentucky Fried Chicken
Cos I'm Mary the Chicken
Because I am Mary the Chicken
I'm Mary the Chicken
I am Mary the Chicken
You wouldn't eat me if you knew where I'd been
You would not consume me if you were aware of my living conditions
You'd be heart-stricken
You would be deeply saddened
I'm Jonathon Pig and I'm fearsomely stout
I am Jonathon Pig, and I am incredibly fat and strong
From the tip of my tail to the snuff of my snout
From the very end of my tail to the area around my snout
I'm too fat to move and I'm too young to die
I am overweight to the point where I am immobile, and I am still too young to be killed
So think about me next time you eat a pork-pie
Therefore, contemplate my existence the next time you consume a pork pie
Cos I'm Jonathon Pig
Because I am Jonathon Pig
I'm Jonathon Pig
I am Jonathon Pig
My ears have gone into the sausage machine
My ears have been processed through the sausage-making apparatus
And so has my thingumajig
And so has my unspecified body part
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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