… 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.
Itinerant Child
Ian Dury Lyrics
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it's a right old banger and the chassis' bent
it's got a great big peace sign across the back
and most of the windos have been painted black
the windshield's cracked, it's a bugger to drive
it starts making smoke over forty-five
it's a phsychedelic nightmare with a million leaks
slow down itinerant child, the road is full of danger
slow down itinerant child, there's no more ‘welcome, stanger'
soon I was rumbling through the mornign fog
with my long haired children and my one eyed dog
with the trucks and the buses and the trailer-vans
my long throw horns playing Steely Dan
we straggled out for miles along the Beggar's Hill
when the word came donw that we'd lost Old Bill
you can bet your boots i'm coming when the times are hard
that's why they keep my dossier at Scotland Yard
slow down itinernat child, you're still accelerating
slow down itinerant child, the boys in blue were waiting
itinernat child don't do what your doing
itinerant child you'd better slow down
we drove into Happy Valley seeking peace and love
with a lone helicopter hanging up above
we didn't realise untill we hit the feild
there were four hundred cozzers holding riot sheilds
they terrorized our babies and they broke our heads
it's a stone fucking miracle there's no-one dead
they turned my ramshackle home into a burning wreck
my one-eyed dog got a broken neck
slow down itinerant child, the road is full of danger
slow down itinerant child, there's no more ‘welcome, stanger'
slow down itinernat child, you're still accelerating
slow down itinerant child, the boys in blue were waiting
The lyrics of Ian Dury's song "Itinerant Child" paints the picture of a vagabond who travels around the country in his battered van with a group of likeminded people. The van, which has been stripped of its seats, has a peace sign on the back and most of the windows have been painted black. The van is a psychedelic nightmare that has a million leaks, and it is home to some people who fit the description of "sweet arse freaks." The driver of the van likes to speed and has a disregard for the danger on the road. He has long-haired children and a one-eyed dog that he travels with. The driver and his group of people meet an unfortunate fate when they drive into Happy Valley seeking peace and love. They are met with 400 policemen with riot shields who terrorize them, break their heads, and turn their ramshackle home into a burning wreck.
The song speaks of a counterculture, vagabond lifestyle that existed in the 1970s in which people lived in vehicles and travelled around the country, finding joy in transient communities. The driver of the van represents this way of life, someone who loves the freedom that comes with living on the road, disregarding the rules of the society he drives through. However, his dream is cut short by the establishment which is portrayed as being violent and oppressive.
Line by Line Meaning
I took out all the seats and away I went
I removed all the seats from my vehicle and went on my journey.
it's a right old banger and the chassis' bent
It's an old, rough-looking car whose frame is damaged.
it's got a great big peace sign across the back
There is a large peace symbol on the back of the car.
and most of the windos have been painted black
The majority of the windows have been painted black.
the windshield's cracked, it's a bugger to drive
The windshield is cracked, making it difficult to drive.
it starts making smoke over forty-five
The car begins producing smoke when driven over 45 miles per hour.
it's a phsychedelic nightmare with a million leaks
The car is a psychedelic disaster with numerous leaks.
it's home-sweet-home to ssome sweet arse freaks
The car is a welcoming home to some peculiar individuals.
slow down itinerant child, the road is full of danger
I urge you to reduce your speed on the road because it's dangerous.
slow down itinerant child, there's no more ‘welcome, stanger'
The welcoming environment for strangers is no more.
soon I was rumbling through the mornign fog
I was cruising through the foggy morning.
with my long haired children and my one eyed dog
My children with long hair and my one-eyed dog were with me.
with the trucks and the buses and the trailer-vans
We were along with the trucks, buses, and trailers on the road.
my long throw horns playing Steely Dan
My horns produced a sound similar to Steely Dan's music.
we straggled out for miles along the Beggar's Hill
We continued our journey for miles along Beggar's Hill.
when the word came donw that we'd lost Old Bill
We received information that Old Bill was no longer with us.
you can bet your boots i'm coming when the times are hard
You can be confident that I will show up when things start to get tough.
that's why they keep my dossier at Scotland Yard
That is why Scotland Yard maintains a file on me.
itinernat child don't do what your doing
I advise that you do not continue what you are doing, itinerant child.
itinerant child you'd better slow down
It is recommended that you reduce your speed, itinerant child.
we drove into Happy Valley seeking peace and love
We entered Happy Valley in search of peace and love.
with a lone helicopter hanging up above
A solitary helicopter was hovering above.
we didn't realise untill we hit the feild
We were not aware of the situation until we reached the field.
there were four hundred cozzers holding riot sheilds
There were 400 policemen holding riot shields.
they terrorized our babies and they broke our heads
They instilled fear in our children and caused us physical harm.
it's a stone fucking miracle there's no-one dead
It's a true miracle that nobody died.
they turned my ramshackle home into a burning wreck
They destroyed my makeshift dwelling by setting it on fire.
my one-eyed dog got a broken neck
My dog with one eye had a broken neck.
slow down ititernat child, you're still accelerating
You are still increasing your speed, itinerant child, so slow down.
slow down itinerant child, the boys in blue were waiting
The police officers are waiting for you, so it's better to slow down, itinerant child.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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