English was acclaimed for his starring role in the 1978 Australian TV series Against the Wind - he won the TV Week Logie Award for 'Best New Talent in Australia'. He also co-wrote and performed the score with Mario Millo (ex-Sebastian Hardie). The series had international release, known as Mot alla vindar (1980) in Scandinavia,[7] where both "Six Ribbons" and "Against the Wind" were released as singles, both singles and the soundtrack album peaked at #1 on the Norwegian charts; the first single, "Six Ribbons" and the album, peaked at #4 on the Swedish charts.
During 1983-1985, English won four Mo Awards with three consecutive 'Entertainer of the Year' awards and a further 'Male Vocal Performer' in 1985. English has performed in Gilbert and Sullivan's operettas Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado and HMS Pinafore from 1984. Performances of Essgee Entertainment's productions of the Gilbert and Sullivan trilogy from 1994 to 1997 were broadcast on Australian TV, they were all released on VHS and subsequently on DVD.
Handbags And Gladrags
Jon English Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tryin' to make the other si-ide
Ever seen a young girl growin' old
Tryin' to make herself a bri-ide
So what becomes of you my love
When they have finally stripped you of
The handbags and the gladrags
So you could buy-uy
Once I was a young man
And I thought all I had to do was smi-ile
You are still a young girl
And you bought everything in sty-why-why-why-yle
Once you think you're in you're out
'Cause you don't mean a single thing without
The handbags and the gladrags
That your poor old Grandad
Had to sweat to buy-uy
Sing a song of six-pence for your sake
And take a bottle full of rye-ye
Four and twenty blackbirds in a cake
And bake them all in a pie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie
They told me you missed school today
So I suggest you just throw them all away-ay-ay
The handbags and the gladrags
That your poor old Granddad
Had to sweat to buy-uy
Bye-bye
They told me you missed school today
So I suggest you just throw them all away-ay
The handbags and the gladrags
That your poor old Grandad
Had to sweat to buy-uy
Bye-bye
In the first verse of Jon English's "Handbags and Gladrags", he asks us about our observations of two very different people โ a blind man trying to cross the road on his own and a young girl who is aging yet still trying to find a husband by buying nice things. The second verse talks about how people are defined by their material possessions and how they can come to rely on them. Jon English talks about how his grandfather worked hard and sweated to buy the handbags and gladrags that he now possesses. In the song, these possessions are portrayed as symbols of a better life or of achieving some sort of social status, but in the end, they're just objects that lack meaning and purpose without the individual's personality and presence. The song is a commentary on how people can become obsessed with material things and potentially hurt themselves in the process.
The chorus acts as a sort of catharsis for the sentiment presented in the previous verses. The repetition of the lyrics "The handbags and the gladrags, That your poor old Grandad had to sweat to buy-uy, Bye-bye" only serves to reinforce the central theme of the song โ that material possessions aren't everything, and they can easily be taken away. In the final verse, the singer sings about how he's been told the young girl missed school yet again, and he advises her to "throw them all away" โ in other words, to let go of any delusions of grandeur concerning her newly acquired material possessions.
Line by Line Meaning
Ever seen a blind man cross the road
Have you ever witnessed a sightless man walking across the street
Tryin' to make the other si-ide
Struggling to make it to the opposite end safely
Ever seen a young girl growin' old
Have you observed a teenage girl ageing over time
Tryin' to make herself a bri-ide
Striving to get married and become a bride one day
So what becomes of you my love
Thus, what will happen to you, my dear?
When they have finally stripped you of
When they have eventually taken away from you
The handbags and the gladrags
The expensive bags and fashionable clothing
That your Grandad had to sweat
That your grandfather had to toil hard for
So you could buy-uy
So that you could purchase them
Once I was a young man
I, too, was once a youth
And I thought all I had to do was smi-ile
I believed that a mere smile was all it took to succeed
You are still a young girl
You are still a teenager
And you bought everything in sty-why-why-why-yle
You purchased everything you desired in the latest fashion
Once you think you're in, you're out
The moment you believe you have gained entry, you lose it again
Cause you don't mean a single thing without
Since you signify nothing without
The handbags and the gladrags
The costly bags and fashionable clothing
That your poor old Grandad had to sweat to buy-uy
That your dear old grandfather had to work hard to purchase
Sing a song of six-pence for your sake
Sing a nursery rhyme for your benefit
And take a bottle full of rye-ye
And drink a bottle filled with whiskey
Four and twenty blackbirds in a cake
A dessert containing 24 blackbirds baked inside
And bake them all in a pie-ie-ie-ie-ie
And put them all inside a pie to be baked
They told me you missed school today
They informed me that you were absent from school today
So I suggest you just throw them all away-ay-ay
Therefore, I recommend you dispose of them all
That your poor old Granddad had to sweat to buy-uy
That your beloved old grandfather had to work hard to purchase
Bye-bye
Goodbye
Lyrics ยฉ Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Michael D'abo
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@josephnapoli6412
Brilliant song brilliantly sung bought tears to my eyes memories of the seventies came flooding back how many great singers and bands did this country have then compared to now
@petergrosset8840
Best verson RIP Jon
@spello8191
Attended Paddington school when this particular track was recorded. Memories is what makes us! Whether it be positive or negative. This track weathers all storms for meโฆ
@frankdingle9920
A massive loss, followed him almost from the beginning of his career. R.I.P Jon, we'll always remember therefore you'll always live in our hearts
@russellwarr3791
Still the best 45 single version ever
@spello8191
Miss Jon muchly๐ข
@carollennox6850
I remember seeing this clip at Manly Silver Screen Theatre good memories
@diehardhushfan
The very first song he ever recorded
@spello8191
Jon was a iconic with Australia stage and studio music. The Welsh band Stereophonics made a great cover
@spello8191
May it not be the last long song you purchased ๐