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.
Happy Hippy
Ian Dury and the Blockheads Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ere I turn into a blank automoton
You won't find me on the treadmill
You can tell ‘em Willy boy has been and gone
Yes mogadon time's over
There'll be an empty bed in babylon
Cos i'm a happy hippy
It's beads and roman sandles from now on
Yes I'm a happy hippy, they call me mr whippy
When everything is crappy, being hippy makes you happy
Wes i'm a happy hippy, and you can bet your bippy
That everybody's happy ‘cos everything is trippy
I've found a new position
I don't use chairs and tables anymore
I focus my attention from a lovely purple cushion on the floor
When I look back at the rat-race
I don't regret a thing I've disavowed
With the freedom of an eagle
I can awlays keep my head above the clouds
‘Cos i'm a happy hippy they call me mr. whippy
When everything is crappy being hippy makes you happy
Yes i'm a happy hippy and you can bet your bippy
That everybody's happy cos everything is trippy
Good day everyone
Now I ‘m a jolly beatnik
I haven't got a worry in the way
My hair grows long and shaggy
As I savour every minute of the day
Immune from all achievement
Since I threw away my telly and my phone
In my pastroal pajamas
Spending every waking moment getting stoned
Yes i'm a happy hippy they call me mr. whippy
When everything is crappy being hippy makes you happy
Yes i'm a happy hippy and you can bet your bippy
That everybody's happy cos everything is trippy
i'm a happy hippy and everything is trippy
i'm a happy hippy and everything is trippy
i'm a happy hippy and everything is trippy
i'm a happy hippy and everything is trippy, yipee
The song "Happy Hippy" by Ian Dury and the Blockheads is a playful and carefree anthem celebrating the hippy counterculture movement of the 1960s and 1970s. The lyrics reflect a rejection of societal norms and a desire for freedom and happiness. In the first verse, Dury declares that he is "hanging up" his hang-ups, meaning he is letting go of his worries and inhibitions. He refuses to conform to the pressures of a mundane and monotonous life, symbolized by the treadmill. Instead, he embraces the hippy lifestyle, characterized by peace, love, and freedom of expression.
Dury's joyous proclamation of being a "happy hippy" is reinforced throughout the song. He finds contentment in simple pleasures, such as wearing beads and Roman sandals, symbolizing the hippy fashion and values. The chorus highlights the transformative power of being a hippy, emphasizing that despite the challenges and negativity in the world, adopting a hippy mindset can bring happiness. Dury playfully rhymes "hippy" with "whippy," suggesting that being a hippy can be like having an ice cream treat that brings joy and sweetness to life.
In the second verse, Dury expresses his newfound perspective. He discards traditional furniture and adopts a more relaxed and unconventional seating arrangement, focusing his attention from a "lovely purple cushion on the floor." This imagery suggests a shift towards a more introspective and contemplative lifestyle. Dury also reflects on his decision to break free from the rat race and the pressures of success, stating that he has no regrets. With the freedom of an eagle flying above the clouds, he embraces a carefree existence.
The final verse introduces the concept of a "jolly beatnik," a term referring to the bohemian artists and intellectuals of the Beat Generation. Dury emphasizes his detachment from the pursuit of traditional achievements and material possessions. He proudly proclaims that he has discarded his television and phone, instead choosing to wear pastoral pajamas and spend his time getting high. This line represents the countercultural tendency to reject mainstream societal norms and seek alternative modes of living.
Overall, "Happy Hippy" celebrates the liberation and happiness found in embracing a lifestyle centered around peace, love, and individual freedom, as espoused by the hippy movement.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm hanging up my hang-ups
I am abandoning all my worries and insecurities
Ere I turn into a blank automoton
Before I become a mindless and unfeeling robot
You won't find me on the treadmill
I will not conform to the monotonous routine of everyday life
You can tell ‘em Willy boy has been and gone
You can inform others that the old version of me is gone
Yes mogadon time's over
The time of being sedated and numb is over
There'll be an empty bed in babylon
There will be no place for conformity and mediocrity
Cos i'm a happy hippy
Because I am a joyful nonconformist
It's beads and roman sandles from now on
I will embrace a lifestyle of peace, love, and simplicity
Yes I'm a happy hippy, they call me mr whippy
I am a joyous free spirit, known as Mr. Whippy
When everything is crappy, being hippy makes you happy
Even in difficult times, choosing a hippy lifestyle brings happiness
Wes i'm a happy hippy, and you can bet your bippy
Yes, I am a jubilant nonconformist, and you can be sure of it
That everybody's happy ‘cos everything is trippy
Because everything is psychedelic and unusual, everyone is content
I've found a new position
I have discovered a new way of living
I don't use chairs and tables anymore
I no longer conform to traditional standards and expectations
I focus my attention from a lovely purple cushion on the floor
I direct my attention from a comfortable cushion on the floor
When I look back at the rat-race
When I reflect on the competitive and stressful world
I don't regret a thing I've disavowed
I have no regrets about rejecting societal norms
With the freedom of an eagle
With the liberation and grace of an eagle
I can always keep my head above the clouds
I can always maintain a positive perspective and rise above challenges
Good day everyone
Greetings to all
Now I ‘m a jolly beatnik
Now I am a cheerful nonconformist
I haven't got a worry in the way
I have no concerns or hindrances
My hair grows long and shaggy
My hair becomes wild and unkempt
As I savour every minute of the day
As I thoroughly enjoy and appreciate every moment
Immune from all achievement
Unaffected by societal expectations of success
Since I threw away my telly and my phone
Since I discarded my television and mobile phone
In my pastoral pajamas
In my comfortable and relaxed clothing
Spending every waking moment getting stoned
Devoting my waking hours to getting high
i'm a happy hippy and everything is trippy
I am a content nonconformist, and everything is strange and surreal
i'm a happy hippy and everything is trippy, yipee
I am a joyful nonconformist, and everything is bizarre and extraordinary, hooray
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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