… 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.
Sueperman's Big Sister
Ian Dury Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I thought a bit of treatment was all a body needs
I'll take you where the haps are
All the handsome chaps are
Squeeze you till I make your feelings bleed
She put me right behind her in fifteen minutes
She could have had my things off, so sadly was I raised
If I'd gone on the turn, dear
It wouldn't be surprising nowadays
You know she's Sueperman's big sister
Her X-ray eyes see through my silly ways
Sueperman's big sister, superior skin and blister
It doesn't seem surprising nowadays... yeah!
Superman's big sister
(oh-oh-oo-oh)
Superman's big sister
(oh-oh-oo-oh)
Superman's big sister
(oh-oh-oo-oh)
Superman's big sister
(oh-oh-oo-oh)
I said she's Sueperman's big sister
It doesn't seem surprising nowadays
And now I've had the sense to keep her friendship
And though I nearly miffed it in many little ways
The story's got no sequel
Cos me and her are equal
Is that so surprising nowadays?
Because she's Sueperman's big sister
Her X-ray eyes see through my silly ways
I said she's Sueperman's big sister, his grown up skin and blister
Is that so surprising nowadays?
Ian Dury's "Sueperman's Big Sister" is a song about a guy who was sure he knew everything, but then he met Sueperman's big sister, who turned his world upside down. The song starts with the singer showing his ignorance and thinking he knew everything, thinking that a bit of treatment was all that a person needs. He wants to take the person to the place where the haps are and make their feeling bleed, but Sueperman's big sister comes into the picture and puts him right within 15 minutes. She makes him realize how much he needs to learn and that he should be grateful for any opportunity to do so.
As the song progresses, the listener understands that Sueperman's big sister is someone who has immense knowledge and is highly perceptive. Her x-ray eyes allow her to see through his silly ways and help him become a better version of himself. The song ends on a positive note with the singer realizing that he has been transformed by Sueperman's big sister and how fortunate he is to have her friendship.
Overall, the song can be seen as a commentary on the importance of learning and being open to new knowledge. It also touches on the idea that everyone needs someone to guide them, and that it's essential to recognize and be grateful for such connections.
Line by Line Meaning
Till I met her, I thought I knew the answers
Before I met her, I believed that I knew everything
I thought a bit of treatment was all a body needs
I believed that a little bit of care would be enough to solve any problem
I'll take you where the haps are
I can take you to where the exciting things are happening
All the handsome chaps are
There will be many attractive men there
Squeeze you till I make your feelings bleed
I will manipulate you until you are emotionally drained
She put me right behind her in fifteen minutes
She showed me my place within fifteen minutes of meeting her
She could have had my things off, so sadly was I raised
I had such a poor upbringing that I was ready to be taken advantage of
I had a lot to learn, dear
There was much that I did not know
If I'd gone on the turn, dear
If I had entered into a life of prostitution
It wouldn't be surprising nowadays
It would not be unusual in contemporary times
You know she's Sueperman's big sister
She is the older sister of Superman
Her X-ray eyes see through my silly ways
She can see through my foolish behavior
Sueperman's big sister, superior skin and blister
She is a tough and resilient person, much like Superman
It doesn't seem surprising nowadays... yeah!
Her strength and resilience is not unusual in modern times
And now I've had the sense to keep her friendship
I now understand the value of maintaining her friendship
And though I nearly miffed it in many little ways
Despite almost ruining the friendship numerous times
The story's got no sequel
There is no continuation of the story
Cos me and her are equal
Because we are equals
Is that so surprising nowadays?
Is it really that unusual in modern times?
I said she's Sueperman's big sister
I am reiterating that she is Superman's older sister
His grown up skin and blister
She is the more mature and experienced version of Superman
Is that so surprising nowadays?
Is it really that unusual in modern times?
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@andrewpeters6808
"she put me right in under 15 minutes" a great line indeed!! 😂😂
@janeparfitt65
He was & still is a legend. I've been in love with Ian Dury since I was 12. Now 57 ❤
@martinpickard6043
One of my fave Ian Dury & the Blockheads tracks. Nobody else like them.
Nice to see Wilco in the line up. Same line up I saw live (maybe 1979?).
Shocked to hear of his passing. Great to see the Blockheads still appearing now and again - Awesomely talented and tight band!
@bobcar83
I wasn't alive when this was released but thought the same thing when I saw wilko
@thetiktokman
Dury was a fucking genius. RIP old son. what a legacy.
@jadepixie2719
RIP Wilko, condolences 💐 to Mr Johnson family and friends. You will be sorely missed in the world of Rock music. 😢
@ucanseethejoin
I like this one, haven't heard it since late 1980 when it was played a lot on radio 1 back then
@steiffbar
Love all your Ian videos - thank you thank you!!!
@TS50ER
Brilliant song!
@Monsterpop
absolute genius! thanks guys!