The song "Evidently Chickentown" became known to a wide audience through its use in the final season of the TV show "The Sopranos" and in the 2007 film "Control".
Readers Wives
John Cooper Clarke Lyrics
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The altogether ruder readers' wives
Who put down their needles and their knitting
At the doorway to our dismal daily lives
The fablon top scenarios of passion
Nipples peep through holes in leatherette
They seem to be saying in their fashion
Cold flesh the colour of potatoes
In an Instamatic living room of sin
All the required apparatus
Too bad they couldn't fit her head in
In latex pyjamas with bananas going ape
Their identities are cunningly disguised
By a six-inch strip of insulation tape
Strategically stuck across their eyes
Wives from Inverness to inner London
Prettiness and pimples co-exist
Pictorially wife-swapping with someone
Who's happily married to his wrist
John Cooper Clarke's song "Readers Wives" speaks to the distinct sexual fantasies of men in the 1970s. He invites listeners to make "a date with the brassy brides of Britain," the "readers' wives," who were women who sent in explicit and risqué lingerie and sometimes nude photographs to the magazine "Readers' Wives". In the song, these women are depicted as being unhappy with their mundane daily lives and seek to break free from society's constraints through their sexual exploits. The song depicts the women as being unconventional in their sexual desires and activities, as they seek the pleasure they otherwise would never experience.
The song describes the women's fetish attire, their use of banana in their latex pajamas, the strategic use of tape to hide their identities, and the required apparatus for their sexual encounters. The lyrics also depict the women's bodies in unflattering ways, with cold flesh that is the color of potatoes, and nipples peeping through holes in leathery outfits. The song's tone is sarcastic and mocking, emphasizing the ridiculousness of the women's actions and implying that the readers themselves are also absurd for becoming so fixated on the women in the magazine.
Line by Line Meaning
Make a date with the brassy brides of Britain
Schedule a meeting with loud, showy married women from the United Kingdom
The altogether ruder readers' wives
The absolutely more vulgar, indecent wives of magazine subscribers
Who put down their needles and their knitting
Who stop their hobbies of sewing and making clothes
At the doorway to our dismal daily lives
At the entrance to our depressing daily routines
The fablon top scenarios of passion
The cheaply-made fabric scenarios of romantic desire
Nipples peep through holes in leatherette
Breast tips appear through perforations in imitation leather fabric
They seem to be saying in their fashion
They appear to communicate through dress and gestures
'I'm freezing Charlie - haven't ya finished yet?'
'I am cold, Charlie - have you completed the intercourse yet?'
Cold flesh the colour of potatoes
Pale, unresponsive flesh resembling the hue of potatoes
In an Instamatic living room of sin
In a sinful living room that looks like it was photographed with an Instamatic camera
All the required apparatus
All of the necessary tools and equipment
Too bad they couldn't fit her head in
Unfortunately, her head could not fit in the picture frame
In latex pyjamas with bananas going ape
In rubber sleepwear with bananas in a frenzied state
Their identities are cunningly disguised
Their true identities are cleverly hidden
By a six-inch strip of insulation tape
By a six-inch piece of tape designed to block signals or sounds
Strategically stuck across their eyes
Intentionally placed over their eyes for concealment
Wives from Inverness to inner London
Married women from the Scottish town of Inverness to the more central part of London
Prettiness and pimples co-exist
Beauty and blemishes exist together
Pictorially wife-swapping with someone
Swapping spouses in pictures with another person
Who's happily married to his wrist
Who is content with pleasuring himself
Contributed by Benjamin K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
steve hewitt
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Readers Wives
John Cooper Clarke
Album Où est la maison de fromage ?
Make a date with the brassy brides of Britain
The altogether ruder readers' wives
Who put down their needles and their knitting
At the doorway to our dismal daily lives
The fablon top scenarios of passion
Nipples peep through holes in leatherette
They seem to be saying in their fashion
'I'm freezing Charlie - haven't ya finished yet?'
Cold flesh the colour of potatoes
In an Instamatic living room of sin
All the required apparatus
Too bad they couldn't fit her head in
In latex pyjamas with bananas going ape
Their identities are cunningly disguised
By a six-inch strip of insulation tape
Strategically stuck across their eyes
Wives from Inverness to inner London
Prettiness and pimples co-exist
Pictorially wife-swapping with someone
Who's happily married to his wrist
Graham Bradley
This bloke is iconic. Saw him at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester supporting Squeeze a couple of years ago. Absolute genius.
steve brindle
Agreed Graham, I saw him in Preston back in the day, topping his own bill. Fantastic performance from a northern genius who most of us are proud off I am sure!
Paul Johnson
superb and having met him a few times, he's a great guy too :)
Dee J'ann E Mei & Urff Nicht
anyone got any idea who that is on bass there?
i love the sound from the actual bass he's playing.
very similar to that sound The Fall got from theirs too.
that heavy wooden growl with a little metalic resonance. lovely.
Golf Man
Pan Croque
The band was called The invisible girls,
the bass player is Martin Hannett.
david lindsey
its the late great Martin Hannett
n8b8dyh3r3
Martin Hannett is more known for his great production skills. He produced all Joy Division recordings.
pipeandslippersman
hannett is playing a Rickenbacker (4001?) bass here - they're pretty growly and metallic just on their own but, he also made peter hook get exactly the same bass rig as him when he produced JD and hooky has always made his equipment pretty well known! just look in one of his many books...
Dave Sullivan
Wythenshawe's Paul Young of sad Cafe and Mike and the Mechanics fame on Percussion
Pete Jones
I've not heard this before I've liked jcc since the late 70s and got a few of his records and seen him once live but this one has passed me by