Born in Kent, Judge Dread was the first White British recording artist to get a reggae hit in Jamaica. He got his stage name from a Prince Buster song, and his first hits were inspired by Prince Buster's single, "Big Five".
The Guinness Book of World Records credits Judge Dread for having the most banned songs of all time. Many of his lyrics have sexual connotations, with one song "Big Five" using rhyme to suggest lewd words while not actually saying them. A series of songs with "Big" followed by a number were some of his most notable hits — all of them featuring sexual and humorous lyrics. It is unlikely that you will ever hear his music on mainstream radio because of the nature of his lyrics.
Judge Dread died on stage in The Penny Theatre, Canterbury. At first, his collapse was thought to be part of his humorous and lively stage act, but it was quickly discovered that he was really dead.
In the 1970s, tabloid newspapers expressed concerns that young fans of the comic character Judge Dredd might buy Judge Dread's records by mistake, and hear things that may corrupt their minds.
Big 7
Judge Dread Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your in heavan when you hear big seven
Hey hey diddle dumb day
Ei ei ie'er
Hey hey diddle dumb day
Ei ei ie'er
She took it up the garden path and kicked it's little rump in
Hey hey diddle dumb day
Ei ei ie'er
Hey hey diddle dumb day
Ei ei ie'er
Jack and Jill went up a hill to fetch a roll of cheese
Jack came down with a beaming smile and his trousers round his knees
Hey hey diddle dumb day
Ei ei ie'er
Hey hey diddle dumb day
Ei ei ie'er
Little Jack horner sat on the corner with a dirty look in his eye
He never looked at the pretty girls but he smiled when the boys went by
Hey hey diddle dumb day
Ei ei ie'er
Hey hey diddle dumb day
Ei ei ie'er
Up all night and sleep all day really my desire
I tried it once but it would not work out 'cause the pussy caught fire
Hey hey diddle dumb day
Ei ei ie'er
Hey hey diddle dumb day
Ei ei ie'er
Old mother hubbered went to the cupboard to get the poor doggy a bone
When she bent down the dog came around and he gave her a bone of his
Own
Hey hey diddle dumb day
Ei ei ie'er
Hey hey diddle dumb day
Ei ei ie'er
Jack be nimble Jack be quick Jack jumped over candle stick
Silly boy should have jumped higher goodness gracious great balls of fire
Hey hey diddle dumb day
Ei ei ie'er
Hey hey diddle dumb day
Ei ei ie'er
Judge dread lay in a double bed with a girl preforming great
He said would you like big seven again she said no but I'll had big
Eight
Hey hey diddle dumb day diddle dumb day
Diddle dumb day
The lyrics to Judge Dread's song "Big Seven" are comprised of a series of nonsensical nursery rhymes coupled with a humorous story involving Dread and a woman in his bed. The repeated chorus of "Hey hey diddle dumb day, ei ei ie'er" serves as a catchy backdrop to the rhymes, which allude to some lewd and silly themes, such as a woman kicking a little pig and a man jumping over a candlestick only to fall down and sing "goodness gracious great balls of fire!".
The chorus is a play on the classic children's nursery rhyme "Hey Diddle Diddle," adding "dumb day" and "ei ei ie'er" for an extra layer of absurdity. Mary's little pig and Jack and Jill's cheese-rolling adventure are also references to familiar nursery rhymes, but with slight twists in the lyrics, adding humor and irreverence. The nonsensical lines evoke a childish sense of playfulness and bring a lighthearted quality to the song.
The final verse takes the humor to another level, as Judge Dread brags to a woman in his bed about his sexual potency, asking her if she'd like "big seven" again, to which she responds she'd rather have "big eight". The lyrics are meant to be taken lightly, without taking any of the themes too seriously. As a whole, the song is a playful interplay of language and rhyme, bordering on the absurd.
Line by Line Meaning
Alright get ready
Get ready for an entertaining song!
Your in heavan when you hear big seven
This song is super enjoyable, just like being in heaven.
Hey hey diddle dumb day
A nonsensical refrain that adds to the fun of the song.
Ei ei ie'er
Another nonsensical refrain.
Mary had a little pig she could not stop it grunting
Mary had a noisy pig that she couldn't keep quiet.
She took it up the garden path and kicked it's little rump in
She got fed up with the pig's noise and gave it a kick to quiet it down.
Jack and Jill went up a hill to fetch a roll of cheese
Jack and Jill went up a hill for an absurd reason, which adds to the silliness of the song.
Jack came down with a beaming smile and his trousers round his knees
Jack returned from the hill with a smile and dishevelled pants, suggesting something odd happened up there.
Little Jack horner sat on the corner with a dirty look in his eye
Little Jack Horner had a mischievous or suggestive expression on his face.
He never looked at the pretty girls but he smiled when the boys went by
Jack didn't pay attention to girls but seemed to take notice of boys, adding an absurd or suggestive element to the song.
Up all night and sleep all day really my desire
The singer desires to stay up all night and sleep all day, which is eccentric or humorous.
I tried it once but it would not work out 'cause the pussy caught fire
The singer apparently tried to stay up all night but encountered an absurd problem, such as a cat catching fire, adding to the song's comedic elements.
Old mother hubbered went to the cupboard to get the poor doggy a bone
Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard for an absurd reason, which continues the humorous trend of the song.
When she bent down the dog came around and he gave her a bone of his own
The dog surprised Mother Hubbard in an unexpected way by giving her a bone when she was expecting to give him one.
Jack be nimble Jack be quick Jack jumped over candle stick
Jack is shown to be skilled and nimble, jumping over a candlestick in what is probably an absurd scenario.
Silly boy should have jumped higher goodness gracious great balls of fire
Jack is criticized for not jumping higher, but the criticism is given in a way that is funny and exaggerated.
Judge dread lay in a double bed with a girl preforming great
Judge Dread is apparently in a playful or romantic scenario with a girl.
He said would you like big seven again she said no but I'll had big eight
Judge Dread makes a suggestive or humorous offer to the girl, who responds in a way that is both surprising and funny.
Hey hey diddle dumb day diddle dumb day
The refrain is repeated to emphasize the nonsensical and fun nature of the song.
Lyrics © PEER MUSIC
Written by: EDWARD, HUGHES, LEMON, ALVIN RANGLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@hummycarton
Retro Charts Radio plays this once a month along with every other Top 40 hit from the 20th century. An archive of pop history 24/7 :)
@annhughes3869
I remember these tunes when I was younger not heard them in ages luckily found them if you feel down just listen to this will have you laughing and happy again. Loveeee listening 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
@EmuGamesMaster
I had this on cassette and it went all around my school. Brilliant to listen back to it now and reminisce.
@lisatomlinson3682
My mum was cremated today she used to play this when I was little I went to nursery school singing this 😂😂😂
@treaclelester7285
Oh dear!
@marieparrott7944
I am so very sorry you lost your lovely Mom….I Love these tunes, bring so many memories back…❤
@colincarroll7954
Still holds the record for having the most chart hits banded by BBC
@bartlettandbosc
This is the first song I got too high to, went into fits of laughter and had to run away and hide in the toilet.
@geraldinefountain8732
Lmfaooooo
@hellodave5389
Fantastic, the same happend to me but it was sultans of ping
🎶 Dancing at the disco bumpaa t BUMPAAAAAA, wait a minute WHERRRRE'S ME JUMPAAA 🎶