… 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.
My Old Man
Ian Dury Lyrics
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He was never home for long
Drove a bus for London Transport
He knew where he belonged
Number 18 down to Euston
Double decker move along
Double decker move along
My old man
Later on he drove a Roller
Chauffeuring for foreign men
Dropped his aitches on occasion
Said, "Cor blimey!" now and then
Did the crossword in the Standard
At the airport in the rain
At the airport in the rain
My old man
Wouldn't ever let his governers
Call him 'Billy', he was proud
Personal reasons make a difference
His last boss was allowed
Perhaps he had to keep his distance
Made a racket when he rowed
Made a racket when he rowed
My old man
My old man
My old man was fairly handsome
He smoked too many cigs
Lived in one room in Victoria
He was tidy in his digs
Had to have an operation
When his ulcer got too big
When his ulcer got too big
My old man
My old man
Seven years went out the window
We met as one to one
Died before we'd done much talking
Relations had begun
All the while we thought about each other
All the best, mate, from your son
All the best, mate, from your son
My old man
My old man
Ian Dury's song My Old Man is an ode to his father who worked as a bus driver for London Transport. The first verse introduces us to Dury's father who wore "three piece whistles" (a Cockney rhyming slang for suit), but was hardly at home as he was always on the move. The classic London bus route, which was number 18, took him from his home to Euston station. The chorus, which is simply repeated, reinforces the significance of his father to Dury as he repeats the phrase "My old man" throughout the song.
The second verse highlights his father's change of job as he becomes a chauffeur for foreign businessmen. The song emphasizes his father's Cockney accent and slang as he occasionally dropped his "aitches" and said "Cor blimey!" The Bridge got personal as his father's boss was the only person allowed to call him Billy, which highlights his father's pride, and maybe his struggle to keep his distance from his boss's slights.
The final verse is a melancholic reflection of his father's life. Dury describes his father as "fairly handsome," yet unhealthy and living in one room in Victoria. He had to have an ulcer operation which adds to the sadness of the song. Dury also reflects on his relationship with his father which was impacted by the father's early passing. He wishes his father all the best and acknowledges the potential for more in their relationship if only they had more time.
Line by Line Meaning
My old man wore three piece whistles
My dad wore fancy three-piece suits
He was never home for long
He didn't stay at home for very long
Drove a bus for London Transport
He worked as a bus driver for London Transport
He knew where he belonged
He was content with his life and job
Number 18 down to Euston
He drove the number 18 bus route to Euston station
Double decker move along
He urged his passengers to move along to the top deck of the double-decker bus
Later on he drove a Roller
Later he drove a Rolls-Royce car
Chauffeuring for foreign men
He worked as a driver for foreign businessmen
Dropped his aitches on occasion
He sometimes dropped the letter H from his speech
Said, "Cor blimey!" now and then
He used the exclamation 'cor blimey' every now and then
Did the crossword in the Standard
He enjoyed doing crossword puzzles in the Standard newspaper
At the airport in the rain
He did crossword puzzles even when it was raining at the airport
Wouldn't ever let his governers
He never let his bosses call him Billy
Call him 'Billy', he was proud
He was proud of his name and didn't like to be called by a nickname
Personal reasons make a difference
He had personal reasons for not wanting to be called Billy
His last boss was allowed
His last boss respected his wishes and called him by his real name
Perhaps he had to keep his distance
Maybe he had to keep his distance from his bosses for some reason
Made a racket when he rowed
He made a lot of noise when he argued with someone (could be his bosses)
My old man was fairly handsome
My dad was quite good-looking
He smoked too many cigs
He smoked too many cigarettes
Lived in one room in Victoria
He lived in a small room in Victoria, London
He was tidy in his digs
He kept his small room clean and tidy
Had to have an operation
He had to have surgery
When his ulcer got too big
When his ulcer became very painful and big
Seven years went out the window
We lost touch for seven years
We met as one to one
We finally met again one-to-one
Died before we'd done much talking
He passed away before we could have a proper conversation
Relations had begun
We had just started getting to know each other again
All the while we thought about each other
Both of us were thinking about each other
All the best, mate, from your son
I wish you all the best, dad, from your son
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IAN ROBINS DURY, STEPHEN LEWIS NUGENT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind