… 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.
Delusions of Grandeur
Ian Dury Lyrics
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I got a gal that I love so
Delusions of grandeur, delusions of grandeur
I'm a dedicated follower of my own success
I can handle the glamour, I can cope with the stress
Deal with the doughnuts and please all the rest
I'm polite to the punters and sweet to the press
I just won a trophy from a radio station
I'm leaving my bat and my balls to the nation
I've got megalomania I've got megalomania
To be a twinkle in the show-biz dream
To which effect I could canive and scheme
I dive into the dairy and I lap up all the cream
I'm up to the armpits in self-esteem
Stiff me quietly up the charts
Then I can go public with my private parts
And here is me, oh look at me
Just another pathetic pop star
I love you Greta, what else is there?
won't you please accept my hand
Delusions of grandeur, delusions of grandeur
Megalomania, megalomania
Delusions of grandeur, delusions of grandeur
Megalomania, megalomania
Delusions of grandeur, delusions of grandeur
Megalomania, megalomania
Delusions of grandeur, delusions of grandeur
The lyrics of "Delusions of Grandeur" by Ian Dury describe the mindset of a successful pop star who is convinced of his own greatness. He speaks of his megalomania and how he can cope with the stress that comes with success. The lyrics also talk about how he is polite to his fans and sweet to the press.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the title, "Delusions of Grandeur", and repeats the phrase "megalomania". This emphasizes how the pop star is obsessed with his own image and success. The lyrics also describe how he is leaving his bat and balls to the nation after winning a trophy from a radio station, which indicates how he believes he is at the height of his success.
The song also has a tongue-in-cheek quality to it. The pop star speaks of diving into the dairy and lapping up all the cream, which is a humorous metaphor for him being on top of the world. The line "Stiff me quietly up the charts, then I can go public with my private parts" is also a tongue-in-cheek reference to how pop stars will do anything for fame and attention.
Overall, "Delusions of Grandeur" is a satirical song that comments on the culture of fame and success in pop music.
Line by Line Meaning
Be-ah bickey ba bo-bo-bo
Nonsensical phrase used to start the song
I got a gal that I love so
I am in a relationship with someone I cherish
Delusions of grandeur, delusions of grandeur
I have an exaggerated belief in my own importance and abilities
I'm a dedicated follower of my own success
I am constantly striving to achieve success in my own way
I can handle the glamour, I can cope with the stress
I am capable of tolerating the attention and demands that come with my success
Deal with the doughnuts and please all the rest
I am willing to do what it takes to please everyone around me, even if it means eating doughnuts
I'm polite to the punters and sweet to the press
I behave in a courteous and charming manner towards my fans and the media
I just won a trophy from a radio station
I have recently been recognized and awarded for my talents by a radio station
I'm leaving my bat and my balls to the nation
I am leaving something valuable behind for the betterment of the public
I've got megalomania I've got megalomania
I have a psychological disorder in which I have an exaggerated sense of power or importance
To be a twinkle in the show-biz dream
I want to be a star in the entertainment industry
To which effect I could canive and scheme
I am willing to employ any means necessary to achieve my goal
I dive into the dairy and I lap up all the cream
I grab at all the opportunities presented to me to capitalize on my fame and success
I'm up to the armpits in self-esteem
I have an overinflated sense of self-worth
Stiff me quietly up the charts
Push my music up the charts through sneaky means
Then I can go public with my private parts
Once successful, I can reveal more of my personal life to the public
And here is me, oh look at me
Look at how great I am
Just another pathetic pop star
I am just like any other famous musician, craving attention and success
I love you Greta, what else is there?
I express affection towards a woman named Greta
Won't you please accept my hand
I am asking Greta to enter into a relationship with me
Delusions of grandeur, delusions of grandeur
Reiteration of my tendency to have an exaggerated sense of self-importance
Megalomania, megalomania
Reiteration of my tendency to have megalomania
Delusions of grandeur, delusions of grandeur
Reiteration of my tendency to have an exaggerated sense of self-importance
Megalomania, megalomania
Reiteration of my tendency to have megalomania
Delusions of grandeur, delusions of grandeur
Reiteration of my tendency to have an exaggerated sense of self-importance
Megalomania, megalomania
Reiteration of my tendency to have megalomania
Delusions of grandeur, delusions of grandeur
Reiteration of my tendency to have an exaggerated sense of self-importance
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IAN ROBINS DURY, MICHAEL WILLIAM GALLAGHER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind