The band started when frontman Dury (born in Upminster, Essex, United Kingdom on 12 May 1942 and died 27 March 2000), had a chance encounter in a musical instrument hire shop with guitarist Chaz Jankel. Jankel took Dury's lyrics, fashioned a number of songs, and they began recording with drummer Charley Charles, bassist Norman Watt-Roy and the former Kilburns saxophonist Davey Payne. An album was completed, but major record labels passed on the band. However, next door to Dury's manager's office was the newly formed Stiff Records, a perfect home for Dury's maverick style. The classic single "Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll", marked Dury's Stiff debut and this was swiftly followed by an album. titled 'New Boots and Panties', which was to eventually achieve platinum status.
It wasn't until October 1977 that Dury and his band started to go out as Ian Dury and the Blockheads, when the band signed up for the Stiff "Live Stiffs Tour" alongside Elvis Costello And The Attractions, Nick Lowe, Wreckless Eric and Larry Wallis. The tour was a success and Stiff launched a concerted Ian Dury marketing campaign, resulting in the Top Ten hit What a Waste and the classic UK number one Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick. The band toured to great acclaim throughout Europe.
The band's second album Do It Yourself was released in June 1979 in a Barney Bubbles-designed sleeve of which there were over a dozen variations, all based on samples from the Crown wallpaper catalogue. Another top ten single, Reasons to be Cheerful, kept Dury in the public eye.
In 1980 Jankel left The Blockheads to concentrate on a solo career and was replaced by former Dr Feelgood guitarist Wilko Johnson, who also contributed to the next album Laughter and its two minor hit singles.
Ian Dury And The Blockheads disbanded in 1981 after Dury secured a new recording deal with Polydor Records through A&R man Frank Neilson, choosing to work with a group of young musicians which he named The Music Students and recorded the album Four Thousand Weeks' Holiday. This album marked a departure from his usual style and was not as well received by fans for its American jazz influence.
The Blockheads reformed several times before Ian Dury's death, most notably to play a series of benefit concerts for Charley Charles.
Blockheads
Ian Dury and the Blockheads Lyrics
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With blotched and lagered skin
Blockheads with food particles in their teeth
What a horrible state they're in
They've got womanly breasts
Under pale mauve vests
Shoes like dead pigs' noses
Catalogue trousers
A mouth what never closes
You must have seen Blockheads
In raucous teams
Dressed up after work
Who screw their poor old Eileens
Get sloshed and go berserk
Rotary accessory watches
Hire-purchase signet rings
A beauty to the bully boys
No lonely vestige clings
Why bother at all about Blockheads?
Why shouldn't they do as they please?
You know if it came to a brainy game
You could baffle a Blockhead with ease
How would you like one puffing
And blowing in your ear hole?
Or pissing in your swimming pool?
Bigger brained Blockheads often acquire
Black and orange cars
Premature ejaculation drivers
Their soft-top's got roll bars
'Fill her up,' they say to Blockheads
'Go on, stick it where it hurts'
Their shapeless haircuts don't enhance
Their ghastly patterned shirts
Why bother at all about Blockheads?
Superior as you are
You're thoughtful and kind
With a well-stocked mind
A Blockhead can't think very far
Imagine finding one in your laundry basket
Banging nails in your big black dog
Why bother at all about Blockheads?
Why should you care what they do?
'Cause after all is said and done
You're a Blockhead too
Blockheads
Blockheads
Blockheads
(Oi oi)
Blockheads
(Oi, oi)
The lyrics of Ian Dury's song Blockheads depict a disdainful, mocking and sardonic criticism of a certain group of people whom he refers to as 'Blockheads'. These people are described as mostly men who come to parties with 'blotched and lagered skin' and have 'food particles in their teeth'. They are portrayed as unkempt, poorly-dressed and lacking in good taste, with 'catalogue trousers', 'cornflake packet jackets', and 'shoes like dead pigs' noses'. Additionally, they are described as being bigoted, ignorant and uncouth, with a 'mouth that never closes'.
Dury goes on to extensively list the different aspects of Blockheads' appearance and behavior, including their 'rotary accessory watches', 'hire-purchase signet rings', their propensity towards drunken revelry and general hooliganism. Despite this, he poses a rhetorical question: why bother caring about them? After all, they are no match for those with more eloquent and intelligent brains, so why not let them have their fun?
However, towards the end of the song, he turns the tables and suggests that the listener too is a 'Blockhead', just like them. He describes how even the most intelligent among us can still be reduced to a state of idiocy under the wrong circumstances. His final words, repeated chorally, emphasize this point: everyone is a Blockhead, whether they like it or not.
Line by Line Meaning
You must have seen parties of Blockheads
With blotched and lagered skin
Blockheads with food particles in their teeth
What a horrible state they're in
It is common to witness parties or groups of blockheads with their stained and intoxicated skin, in addition to having bits of food stuck in their teeth, which makes them appear quite repulsive.
They've got womanly breasts
Under pale mauve vests
Shoes like dead pigs' noses
Cornflake packet jacket
Catalogue trousers
A mouth what never closes
Blockheads typically have features such as soft and plump breasts, mauve colored vests, shoes that resemble the shape of pig noses, dresses stitched out of cornflake packets, and plain trousers picked out of a catalogue. Furthermore, their mouth is never shut, and they always seem to talk excessively.
You must have seen Blockheads
In raucous teams
Dressed up after work
Who screw their poor old Eileens
Get sloshed and go berserk
It is common to find blockheads in groups after work, who get dressed up and drink heavily. They also make advances on Eileen, who they torment and take advantage of in their drunken and wild state.
Rotary accessory watches
Hire-purchase signet rings
A beauty to the bully boys
No lonely vestige clings
The blockheads usually wear a rotary accessory watch, purchase signet rings on hire-purchase, and are usually admired by the bully boys. They show no signs of loneliness because they always have friends and other partners around them.
Why bother at all about Blockheads?
Why shouldn't they do as they please?
You know if it came to a brainy game
You could baffle a Blockhead with ease
Why even bother paying attention to blockheads? They can do whatever they want without any issues. If it comes to a debate or intellectual game, a person with a sharp mind can easily defeat them.
How would you like one puffing
And blowing in your ear hole?
Or pissing in your swimming pool?
How would you feel if you had a blockhead blowing smoke in your face or urinating in your pool? It’s an indication of their immense rudeness.
Bigger brained Blockheads often acquire
Black and orange cars
Premature ejaculation drivers
Their soft-top's got roll bars
Blockheads with larger brains often purchase black and orange cars with a convertible roof that has roll bars. They are reckless drivers and hence classified as premature ejaculators when it comes to driving.
'Fill her up,' they say to Blockheads
'Go on, stick it where it hurts'
Their shapeless haircuts don't enhance
Their ghastly patterned shirts
Blockheads typically instruct gas station attendants to 'fill her up' and are often seen wearing loose and unflattering apparels such as ghastly patterned shirts. To add to that, their hairstyle is often unidentifiable.
Why bother at all about Blockheads?
Superior as you are
You're thoughtful and kind
With a well-stocked mind
A Blockhead can't think very far
Why focus attention on trivial matters like blockheads? You, as a person with a superior mind, are thoughtful and kind, with a diverse mind that can do much more than a blockhead, whose thinking capacity is narrow and limited.
Imagine finding one in your laundry basket
Banging nails in your big black dog
It’s not pleasant to imagine encountering a blockhead in your laundry basket, especially not when they are hammering nails into your lovely dog with dark fur.
Why bother at all about Blockheads?
Why should you care what they do?
'Cause after all is said and done
You're a Blockhead too
Why even pay attention to blockheads? Why should you care about what they do when you're a blockhead yourself?.
Blockheads
Blockheads
Blockheads
(Oi oi)
Blockheads
(Oi, oi)
Blockheads are blockheads, blockheads all around, usually represented by the chant oi oi, oi oi, and the track concludes with an echo of 'Blockheads.'
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Chaz Jankel, Ian Robins Dury
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind