… 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.
roadette song
Ian Dury Lyrics
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Ain't no doubt about it she's a gamey lass
Jerking with her elbow, clever with her knee
Way she move it over, that's the place to please
Diction very bad, friction double rich
Brazen little hussy, rock 'n' rolling bitch
When it come to business takes off like a jet
Rocking's her vocation
Young man
There ain't no need to hustle
Young man
Slow down your hustle bustle
You can take your time, young man
Some of this is muscle
all right
Lightning in her legs
Spitfire on her hip
Rock 'n' roll's a habit
Guitar wrote the script
Messed up on her history
Won the schooling praise
Does her heavy thinking
Bristols in m? face
Never had a teacher
Messing with her brain
You should see her pupils
Music's in her veins
Shifting her transmission
Chevolet, Corvette
Rock 'n' roll relations
With a very high roadette
Young man
There ain't no need to hustle
Young man
Slow down your hustle bustle
You can take your time, young man
Some of this is muscle
guitar
Shaken on her shoulder
Shaking on her arse
Ain't no doubt about it
She's a gamey lass
Jerking with her elbow
Clever with her knee
Way she move it over
That's the place to please
Diction very bad
Friction double rich
Brazen little hussy
Rock 'n' rolling bitch
When it come to business
Take off like a jet
Rocking's her vocation
She's a very high roadette
Young man
There ain't no need to hustle
Young man
Slow down your hustle bustle
You can take your time, young man
Some of this is muscle, all right
1,2, 1-2-3-4, 1
The lyrics of Ian Dury's "Roadette Song" are about a confident and talented woman who is a skilled and seductive dancer. The verses describe her physical movements in detail, emphasizing her dexterity and sensuality. She is portrayed as someone who is not afraid to take risks and who knows how to get what she wants. The chorus advises a young man to slow down and take his time, possibly indicating that he should appreciate the woman's talents rather than trying to rush things. The song also includes references to rock and roll culture, with a line about the guitar writing the script and the mention of a Chevrolet Corvette.
The lyrics can be interpreted as a celebration of female empowerment and sexual agency, as well as a critique of societal expectations around gender roles and propriety. The woman in the song is unapologetic and unashamed of her body and her skills, and the song implies that this is something to be admired rather than judged. At the same time, the lyrics suggest that men could benefit from taking a step back and appreciating women on their own terms, rather than trying to control or rush them.
Line by Line Meaning
Shaken on her shoulder, shaking on her arse
She moves her body with excitement and rhythm
Ain't no doubt about it she's a gamey lass
She's a wild and daring girl
Jerking with her elbow, clever with her knee
She uses every part of her body to dance in a unique and skilled way
Way she move it over, that's the place to please
Her dancing is so good that it pleases everyone who watches her
Diction very bad, friction double rich
Her speech is not very clear, but her passion for rock and roll is strong
Brazen little hussy, rock 'n' rolling bitch
She's confident, bold and unapologetic in her love for rock and roll
When it come to business takes off like a jet
When it comes to music, she works hard and is very successful
Rocking's her vocation, She's a very high roadette
Rock and roll is her job, and she's among the best at it
Young man There ain't no need to hustle
The singer advises young men to slow down and take their time
Some of this is muscle, all right
You don't need to rush, just use your muscle and strength when you need it
Lightning in her legs, Spitfire on her hip
She's quick and energetic in her movements, especially in the way she dances
Rock 'n' roll's a habit, Guitar wrote the script
She's addicted to rock and roll, and it's the music that she loves the most
Messed up on her history, Won the schooling praise
She may have struggled with learning about history, but she excelled in school overall
Does her heavy thinking, Bristols in m? face
She's a hard thinker, and her beauty can distract people from her intelligence
Never had a teacher, Messing with her brain
She didn't rely on traditional education to succeed in music, and she thinks in her own unique way
You should see her pupils, Music's in her veins
Her eyes show that she's passionate about music and it's a part of who she is
Shifting her transmission, Chevolet, Corvette
She's changing and evolving musically, and she's doing it in style
Rock 'n' roll relations, With a very high roadette
She's connected with the world of rock and roll, and she's one of the best artists in that category
1,2, 1-2-3-4, 1
A count-in to begin the next section of the song
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: IAN ROBINS DURY, RUSSELL GODFREY HARDY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind