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.
Mischief
Ian Dury and the Blockheads Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lauren spent his half
Ricky loves a kicking
Wants to join the guards
Barry breaks the windows
Of his broken home
Have a guess.
His tiny mind's been scarred
Lionel touches women when
They're walking through the park
He goes through people's gardens
Nicking laundry in the dark
Roger left a sleeper
Across the District Line
His dad's a shipping clerk
Boys let's have a laugh
Let's have some mischief
Fill a Durex full of water
Throw it on a bus
Take a pigeon to the pictures
Let's cause a bit of fuss
A bit of mischief
Let's go bloody raving mad
Let's do something really bad
They won't forget the day you had
Some mischief
Jack and Stan are tossing pals
Like monkeys in the zoo
When they got caught by gonad Gibbs
They had to wank him too
Incentive didn't want two of Dave (Get it?)
He failed his interview (Oh yeah?)"
She's got crinkly hair
Underneath her underwear
I know because I've been there
Wow!
Wow!
Don't let's hang about
Let's have some mischief
Here, pour a locking fluid on a Bentley,
Then let down his tyres
Hahahahaha
Let's go and kill some kiosks,
Start a few more fires
Could this be mischief?
Let's go completely over the top
Let's do the bop that just won't stop
Let's go and have another drop
Of mischief
I'm sorry I done it
I'm sorry I done it
I'm sorry I done it
I'm sorry I done it
I'm sorry I done it
I'm sorry I done it
"Mischief" is a song by Ian Dury and the Blockheads that satirizes the thrill and chaos of youth delinquency. The lyrics describe several young people engaging in various acts of mischief that veer into violence, vandalism, and sexual misconduct. The song invites the listener to participate in these acts vicariously, as the chorus includes the refrain, "Let's have some mischief."
The song's lyrics critique society's tendency to romanticize and trivialize misbehavior among young people, especially in affluent communities. The characters in the song are mostly from broken homes, lacking positive role models or opportunities, which lead them to seek thrills and power in destructive acts. The song also exposes the darker side of masculinity, highlighted by Lionel's sexual harassment of women and the boys' humiliation at the hands of "gonad Gibbs." Finally, the song suggests that the consequences of mischief are ultimately regrettable, as illustrated by the repeated lines, "I'm sorry I done it."
Line by Line Meaning
Robbed R. Pearson's paper,
Stole someone's newspaper.
Lauren spent his half
Shared someone's half.
Ricky loves a kicking
Enjoys violence.
Wants to join the guards
Aspires to be a soldier.
Barry breaks the windows
Breaks the windows.
Of his broken home
Of his own home.
Have a guess.
Guess what he is going to do.
His tiny mind's been scarred
He has been psychologically damaged.
Lionel touches women when
Lionel sexually harasses women who are
They're walking through the park
walking.
He goes through people's gardens
Lionel trespasses in people's private properties.
Nicking laundry in the dark
Stealing clothes in the night.
Roger left a sleeper
Roger left a piece of wood on the train track.
Across the District Line
In the suburban train service in London.
His dad's a shipping clerk
Roger's father is employed as a clerk in the shipping industry.
Boys let's have a laugh
Let's have fun.
Let's have some mischief
Let's cause trouble.
Fill a Durex full of water
Fill a condom with water.
Throw it on a bus
Throw it at a passing bus.
Take a pigeon to the pictures
Take a pigeon to the cinema.
Let's cause a bit of fuss
Let's create some chaos.
A bit of mischief
A little bit of trouble.
Let's go bloody raving mad
Let's go insane.
Let's do something really bad
Let's do something really bad.
They won't forget the day you had
They will remember what you did.
Jack and Stan are tossing pals
Jack and Stan are friends who masturbate each other.
Like monkeys in the zoo
Like monkeys in the zoo.
When they got caught by gonad Gibbs
When they were caught by a man named Gibbs.
They had to wank him too
They had to masturbate Gibbs as well.
Incentive didn't want two of Dave (Get it?)
The company didn't want to hire two people named Dave.
He failed his interview (Oh yeah?)
Dave failed his job interview.
She's got crinkly hair
She has curly hair.
Underneath her underwear
Underneath her pants.
I know because I've been there
I have had sex with her.
Here, pour a locking fluid on a Bentley,
Pour glue on a car.
Then let down his tyres
Then flatten its tires.
Hahahahaha
Laughing.
Let's go and kill some kiosks,
Let's vandalize some small outdoor stalls.
Start a few more fires
Start some more fires.
Could this be mischief?
Is this considered mischief?
Let's go completely over the top
Let's go beyond what is acceptable.
Let's do the bop that just won't stop
Let's dance endlessly.
Let's go and have another drop
Let's drink more.
Of mischief
Of mischief.
I'm sorry I done it
I am sorry for what I did.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHARLIE (GB) CHARLES, IAN ROBINS DURY, JOHN GEORGE TURNBULL, MICHAEL WILLIAM GALLAGHER, NORMAN JOSEPH WATT-ROY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind