Spasticus
Ian Dury Lyrics

I'm spasticus, I'm spasticus
The singer is introducing themselves as someone with a disability

I'm spasticus autisticus
The singer specifically has autism

I wibble when I piddle
The singer undergoes physical trembles when they urinate

'cause my middle is a riddle
The cause of the artist's physical trembles while urinating is unknown

I dribble when I nibble
The artist drools while eating or drinking

And I quibble when I scribble
The singer has difficulty writing, possibly due to poor fine motor skills from their disability

Hello to you out there in Normal Land
The singer is addressing the non-disabled population as 'normal'

You may not comprehend my tale or understand
The artist anticipates that typical people will not be able to relate to their experiences

As I crawl past your window give me lucky looks
The artist is relegated to crawling because of their disability, but wishes for people's positive attention

You can be my body but you'll never read my books
Others can share experiences of the artist's body, but not their own unique perspective

I'm knobbled on the cobbles
The singer is physically impaired on rough surfaces

'cause I hobble when I wobble
The artist walks with an uneven, unsteady gait

Swim!
A non-sequitur, potentially unrelated command to swim

So place your hard-earned peanuts in my tin
The singer is asking for money

And thank the Creator you're not in the state I'm in
The singer suggests that their disability is a difficult state to be in

So long have I been languished on the shelf
The artist feels neglected or overlooked by society at large

I must give all proceedings to myself
The artist is taking control and ownership over their own life and experiences

54 appliances in leather and elastic
An unclear reference to a large number of objects made of these materials

100 000 thank yous from 27 spastics
A reference to a hypothetical group of people with disabilities thanking the public for their support

Widdling, griddling, skittling, diddling, fiddling, diddling, widdling, diddling
A list of verb-like words with unclear meaning or significance

Spasticus, spasticus
Repetition of the artist's self-proclaimed title

Spasticus autisticus
Reiteration of the artist's specific disability

Spasticus, spasticus
Again, repetition of the singer's title

Spasticus autisticus
Yet again, emphasis on the artist's autism

Spasticus, spasticus
Once more, repetition of the singer's title

Spasticus autisticus
Emphasizing that the singer's disability is a significant aspect of their identity