… 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.
Two Old Dogs Without a Name
Ian Dury Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Trucking down the road to glory
Seeking not to blaze in fame
But to leave a blazing story
Being roadies is their game
Rough of trouser, hair of hoary
They're the ones you cannot tame
Theirs, the lifestyle that surpasses
They're the coolest of the classes
Yours is blonde and mine's got glasses
Give them both their backstage passes
Euro dogs without a draw
Punching down the road to Stuttgart
Not til Munich will they score
There's just enough to have a kick-start
Put the pedal through the floor
Whack this mother down the Ouststartt (?)
The bandit in at half-past four
Sound-check, sandwich and a sweetheart
Getting gear in, they're the masters
Couldn't rig it any faster
Break a leg in a disaster
Fix it with a sticking plaster
Two old dogs who know the gig
Piling feedback through the wedges
Hanging off the lighting rig
Miles of flex along the ledges
Twenty thousand and they're big
Get more in around the edges
Turn up sweaty at the lig
Such the perks and privileges
They're the hardest of the grafters
Lock the truck up to the rafters
Hear the sound of roadies after
In the hotel for their afters
In Two Old Dogs Without a Name, Ian Dury comments on the lives of two roadies, who have been tirelessly supporting musicians as they travel cross-country in their van from shows to shows. The goal of these two men is not to become famous but to leave a lasting footprint on the timeline of their beloved music industry. The song's opening lines focus on the duo's namelessness, yet they keep striving to make their mark on the world through their labor.
As the song progresses, it becomes apparent that roadieship is a game for these two men as they travel all over Europe from Stuttgart to Munich, leaving their present mark before moving on to the next gig. These two old dogs are in it for the long haul and possess the experience and expertise demanded of a roadie. They're the type that never complains and always puts on a great show without ever having the limelight. As Dury says, "theirs is a lifestyle that surpasses" the rest of us.
The tone of Two Old Dogs Without a Name is light-hearted, and the song feels upbeat even as it portrays the often-grueling life of roadies. The two old dogs are portrayed as being happy with the lives they've chosen, the hotels they stay in, the perks and passions of being backstage at each gig, and in working hard to make the shows run smoothly. Yet their work is not just thankless, for as Dury makes clear in the final line, "Hear the sound of the roadies after/In the hotel for their afters," there's a deep sense of community and kinship that arises from being on the road together.
Line by Line Meaning
Two old dogs without a name
Two experienced roadies who are nameless
Trucking down the road to glory
Traveling down the road to success
Seeking not to blaze in fame
Not seeking fame or recognition
But to leave a blazing story
Wanting to leave a lasting impact
Being roadies is their game
Their profession is being roadies
Rough of trouser, hair of hoary
Wearing worn-out pants and having gray hair
They're the ones you cannot tame
They cannot be controlled
Backline front and morning Tory
Working with the backline gear in the front and supporting the conservative party in the morning
Theirs, the lifestyle that surpasses
They have a lifestyle that exceeds expectations
They're the coolest of the classes
They are the coolest of their peers
Yours is blonde and mine's got glasses
Referring to different types of people
Give them both their backstage passes
Give both types of people access to the backstage area
Euro dogs without a draw
European roadies without a plan/schedule
Punching down the road to Stuttgart
Traveling to Stuttgart quickly and forcefully
Not til Munich will they score
They will not have a big break until they get to Munich
There's just enough to have a kick-start
They have just enough resources to get started
Put the pedal through the floor
Drive as fast as possible
Whack this mother down the Ouststartt (?)
Travel down the Ouststartt road quickly and with force
The bandit in at half-past four
The band arrives at 4:30 pm
Sound-check, sandwich and a sweetheart
Completing sound check, eating a sandwich, and greeting someone they love
Getting gear in, they're the masters
They are experts at setting up gear
Couldn't rig it any faster
They cannot set up the equipment any faster
Break a leg in a disaster
Encountering unexpected problems and overcoming them
Fix it with a sticking plaster
Quickly fixing issues with temporary solutions
Two old dogs who know the gig
Experienced roadies who understand the job
Piling feedback through the wedges
Adjusting the sound system to achieve a desired effect
Hanging off the lighting rig
Working on the lighting system while suspended in the air
Miles of flex along the ledges
Wiring that runs around the edges of the stage
Twenty thousand and they're big
The audience size is 20,000, indicating a successful event
Get more in around the edges
Add more equipment to the edges of the stage
Turn up sweaty at the lig
Arrive at the hotel bar after a long day of work
Such the perks and privileges
Being a roadie comes with benefits
They're the hardest of the grafters
They work extremely hard
Lock the truck up to the rafters
Secure the truck so the equipment inside is safe
Hear the sound of roadies after
Hear the noise of roadies socializing after work
In the hotel for their afters
Roadies socializing in the hotel bar after work
Contributed by Lincoln B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.