… 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.
Game On
Ian Dury Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I think you're very nice
Let's go and have a drink
What'd you think?
Throw a six and go to jail
Although I've met a mouthy man or two before
You've got the highest score I'm sure
Or two
Now you know
I'll try and pull the verbal back a bit
In case your ear-ache threatens our relationship
As a master crook I've found out I'm a div
So now I make a meagre living as a spiv
Suitcha self
I'm not sure I want to tell you much about me recently
It's hard to put it decently
I used to do exotic dances
But nowadays I concentrate on taking stupid chances
I feel like there's a bond with you
I'm getting very fond of you
It's good to correspond with you
Wish I could abscond with you
Well, well, ah well, well, well
Well, well, ah well, well, well
Well, well, ah well, well, well
Well, well, ah well, well, well
Welcome to my quarters, pull a bed up
Sorry it's a tip, it's furnished from a skip
I rarely entertain here, usually I roll back pissed
Get blocked and fall straight in and kip
More fool me
I'm a very nosy person - can I look?
God you've got a lot of books, haven't you?
I'm not much of a reader myself
Literature rather left me on the shelf as it were
I mean was
The days it isn't going well, I tell the world to go to hell
And slam up here with Edgar Allen Poe and Ruth Rendell
And I feel better straight away
That's all I can say about books
When I wake up and this is all gone
And something spoils it, it was all bollocks anyway
It will still be good
Well, well, ah well, well, well
Well, well, ah well, well, well
Well, well, ah well, well, well
Well, well, ah well, well, well
The Ian Dury song "Game On" is a playful ode to the nervous excitement of flirting and taking chances. The lyrics describe the singer's attempts to connect with someone they're interested in, despite past failures and their own somewhat shady past. The opening lines depict the singer almost literally falling over themselves ("nearly broke my neck") attempting to "break the ice" and initiate conversation. Despite their awkwardness, they express admiration for their potential partner, conveying a sense of mutual attraction: "I think you're very nice...You've got the highest score I'm sure...I'm getting very fond of you."
At the same time, however, the singer also admits to being something of a "master crook" in the past, leading them to a current predilection for "taking stupid chances." This admission may be a cautionary signal to their flirting partner, indicating that the singer is not entirely trustworthy or innocent. Throughout the song, the lyrics reveal a complicated personality, at once charming, self-deprecating, and possibly deceitful. Nevertheless, the overall tone is one of playful humor and a genuine interest in connecting with someone new.
Overall, "Game On" is a witty, self-aware look at the ups and downs of interpersonal connection. The singer is not afraid to reveal their imperfections and faults, but also expresses a real desire for a deeper connection. The song is both humorous and heartfelt, capturing the mixture of excitement and anxiety that comes with pursuing a new romantic prospect.
Line by Line Meaning
Although I nearly broke my neck trying to break the ice
Although it was awkward to start the conversation, I want to get to know you
I think you're very nice
I am attracted to you and enjoy your company
Let's go and have a drink
I want to spend more time with you and get to know you better
What'd you think?
Do you want to join me for a drink?
Throw a six and go to jail
Let's play a game together and have fun
Although I've met a mouthy man or two before
I have met talkative people before
You've got the highest score I'm sure
But I think you are more interesting than them
I don't mind if I do have a drink with you
I would enjoy spending more time with you
Or two
We can have another drink if you like
Now you know
I am being honest with you
I'll try and pull the verbal back a bit
I will try to speak less, in case I annoy you
In case your ear-ache threatens our relationship
To avoid causing tension between us
As a master crook I've found out I'm a div
I used to be a criminal, but was not very good
So now I make a meagre living as a spiv
Now I make a small amount of money by selling things
Suitcha self
Do whatever you like
I'm not sure I want to tell you much about me recently
I do not want to share everything about myself just yet
It's hard to put it decently
I am finding it difficult to talk about my recent past without sounding bad
I used to do exotic dances
I used to have a wild and adventurous lifestyle
But nowadays I concentrate on taking stupid chances
Now I do things that are dangerous or risky, just for fun
I feel like there's a bond with you
I feel connected to you and want to get closer
I'm getting very fond of you
I am starting to really like you
It's good to correspond with you
I enjoy talking to you and staying in touch
Wish I could abscond with you
I wish we could run away together and spend more time together
Welcome to my quarters, pull a bed up
Come into my home and make yourself comfortable
Sorry it's a tip, it's furnished from a skip
I apologize that my home is messy and poorly furnished
I rarely entertain here, usually I roll back pissed
I usually get drunk and fall asleep instead of having guests over
Get blocked and fall straight in and kip
I get so drunk that I pass out
More fool me
I am not proud of my actions, but I keep doing them anyway
I'm a very nosy person - can I look?
I am curious - can I see what you are reading?
God you've got a lot of books, haven't you?
Wow, you have so many books!
I'm not much of a reader myself
I do not enjoy reading as much as you seem to
Literature rather left me on the shelf as it were
I was never drawn to literature as much as other people
When I wake up and this is all gone
If this experience ends abruptly
And something spoils it, it was all bollocks anyway
If we have a negative experience in the end, it won't matter
It will still be good
Our time spent together will still be valuable
Well, well, ah well, well, well
An expression of surprise, joy, or satisfaction
Well, well, ah well, well, well
An expression of surprise, joy, or satisfaction
Well, well, ah well, well, well
An expression of surprise, joy, or satisfaction
Well, well, ah well, well, well
An expression of surprise, joy, or satisfaction
Contributed by Cooper I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.