Jake's precise diction and risque lyrics won him comparison to Noël Coward; his distinctive nylon-stringed guitar technique is deceptively complex.
Jake retired to Monmouthshire in Wales in the 1990s, where he died in 2002.
A musical based on his work, Sister Josephine Kicks The Habit, made its debut in 2005. After many years out of print, Jake's music has started to reappear - Jake In A Box collects all of his EMI work and a number of live albums have appeared, highlighting Jake's rapport with his audiences, his tall tales, and his warmth as a performer.
Personal Column
Jake Thackray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And since I'm young and sensitive it′s always there I turn to first of all
For in between the vibro-massage, sauna baths, the rubber goods, the corsetry
Someone sends a message that is classified as advertising agony
Agony will always find a way
You read there every day
True-life love stories, taken short
A stifled sob a line,
A list of breaking hearts and surgical supports
"Molly, will you please come home
I miss you,
Will you please forgive me?
I love you very much and I am sorry for what I did
Love, Sidney"
"Artistic photographs, plain paper covers, fifty-nine-and-sixpence, postage free"
"Unsightly hair on arms and legs and faces is removed quite painlessly"
Who knows if wayward Molly will return?
Does Sidney really yearn?
And if he does, does Molly care?
What quarrel set them at each other's throats?
Did Sidney send for postcards through the post?
Or did Molly grow superfluous hair everywhere?
"Widow, 46 would like sophisticated gentleman to contact her
Similar interests and with a view to friendliness
Motor car preferred"
"Mrs Ivy Armitage thanks all her friends for kindnesses when times were hard"
And "The honorable Dicky Cholmondley is not sending anybody any christmas cards"
"Dynamic methods Strengthen and Refine
The Power of your Mind"
In case your memories are none too good
And if you cannot manage on your own
Take out a personal loan
There's no security, it′s understood
"Seven days′ free trial for an anti-nuclear shelter
No obligations at all"
And there's news of debutantes coming out with all the customary Belgrave balls
Ten shillings reward:
Box Number 33 has gone and lost her budgerigar
"Happy Birthday darling Sheila from your Mummy and your Daddy, wherever you are"
Right behind the headlines of the papers there′s a space entitled Personal
And for those who get the agony, that's the place to turn to first of all
In the song "Personal Column" by Jake Thackray, the singer explores the classified section of newspapers which are termed as "Personal". He confesses that he is young and sensitive and this section is always the first one he turns to. The section is filled with advertisements that describe the agony of people who have lost love, family members, or even pets. The agony also includes ads on beauty, psychological help, and nuclear shelters. Thackray highlights the fact that these ads represent a great deal of human suffering and hurt expressed in a few lines. He wonders about the lives behind these ads and what kind of stories they have.
The singer concludes by emphasizing that the classified section is a space where people share their deepest emotions and secrets with the world, and the readers should not ignore the agony that comes hidden within the section. He notes that it is the place to go where we can hear and understand those unheard voices crying out with pain, sorrow, and plea. Through his lyrics, Thackray shows that the world of classified advertising is an intricate and often overlooked part of our society which demands empathy and compassion.
Line by Line Meaning
Right behind the headlines of the papers there's a space entitled Personal
There's a section in the newspaper called Personal, and it's right behind the headlines.
And since I'm young and sensitive it's always there I turn to first of all
As a young and sensitive person, I always read the Personal section first.
For in between the vibro-massage, sauna baths, the rubber goods, the corsetry
In the Personal section, there are advertisements for things like massage, saunas, rubber products, and corsets.
Someone sends a message that is classified as advertising agony
People write in to the Personal section with their love and relationship problems, and it's called advertising agony.
Agony will always find a way
Love and relationship problems will always exist.
You read there every day
People write in to the Personal section every day.
True-life love stories, taken short
The Personal section features real stories of love and heartbreak.
Agony at seven-and-a-kick a time,
Each message in the Personal section costs seven shillings and sixpence.
A stifled sob a line,
The messages are usually short and full of emotion.
A list of breaking hearts and surgical supports
The messages are either about broken hearts or things like medical procedures.
Who knows if wayward Molly will return?
We don't know if Molly is ever coming back.
Does Sidney really yearn?
Does Sidney really miss Molly?
And if he does, does Molly care?
Even if Sidney misses Molly, does she feel the same?
What quarrel set them at each other's throats?
What fight caused Molly and Sidney to break up?
Did Sidney send for postcards through the post?
Did Sidney write to Molly through the post?
Or did Molly grow superfluous hair everywhere?
Did Molly start growing unwanted hair on her body?
"Widow, 46 would like sophisticated gentleman to contact her
A 46-year-old widow is looking for a refined and sophisticated man to talk to.
Similar interests and with a view to friendliness
She's looking for someone who shares her interests and wants to be friends with her.
Motor car preferred"
She would prefer a man who owns a car.
"Mrs Ivy Armitage thanks all her friends for kindnesses when times were hard"
Mrs. Ivy Armitage wants to thank her friends for supporting her during difficult times.
And "The honorable Dicky Cholmondley is not sending anybody any christmas cards"
Dicky Cholmondley is not sending anyone Christmas cards this year.
"Dynamic methods Strengthen and Refine
A message advertising methods to strengthen and refine the mind.
The Power of your Mind"
These methods claim to enhance the power of your mind.
In case your memories are none too good
These methods might be helpful if you have a bad memory.
And if you cannot manage on your own
If you need help, you can take out a personal loan.
There's no security, it's understood
Personal loans don't require any security or collateral.
"Seven days' free trial for an anti-nuclear shelter
A message advertising a trial period for an anti-nuclear shelter.
No obligations at all"
There are no obligations to buy the shelter after the trial.
And there's news of debutantes coming out with all the customary Belgrave balls
The Personal section announces the debut of young girls into high society with traditional balls.
Ten shillings reward:
A message offering a ten shilling reward.
Box Number 33 has gone and lost her budgerigar
Someone with Box Number 33 has lost their pet budgerigar.
"Happy Birthday darling Sheila from your Mummy and your Daddy, wherever you are
A message wishing Sheila a happy birthday from her parents.
And for those who get the agony, that's the place to turn to first of all
For those struggling with love and relationship problems, the Personal section is the first place to look.
Writer(s): Jake Thackray
Contributed by Blake P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Maja Tompkins
on Jumble Sale
There is a mistake in the transcription of the first verse of "Family Tree". It should say "There they perch for all to see", as it does in all the other verses.