Kirsty Anna MacColl (Croydon, England, UK on 10 October 1959 - 18 December … Read Full Bio ↴Kirsty Anna MacColl (Croydon, England, UK on 10 October 1959 - 18 December 2000) was a British pop singer-songwriter. She was the daughter of dancer Jean Newlove and noted folk singer Ewan MacColl.

MacColl began her career in the late 1970s UK punk rock scene, singing backing vocals for Drug Addix. Her UK hits included the 1981 single "There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis", a cover of Billy Bragg's "A New England" in 1985, a duet with Shane MacGowan of The Pogues on "Fairytale of New York" in 1987, and a cover of The Kinks' song "Days" in 1989. She was probably most recognizable in the United States as the writer of "They Don't Know" a hit in 1979.

After a break from the music industry for much of the 1990s, several trips to Cuba and Brazil restored MacColl's creative muse, and the world music-inspired (particularly Cuban and other Latin American forms) Tropical Brainstorm, often described as her finest work, was released in 2000.

On 18 December 2000, while swimming in a restricted diving area with her family on a holiday in Cozumel, she was killed in a collision with a powerboat while managing to drag her son out of its path. The boat was owned by Mexican supermarket millionaire Guillermo González Nova (owner of Comercial Mexicana), who was on board with several members of his family. A boathand, José Cen Yam, claimed to have been driving the boat and was found guilty of culpable homicide and, under Mexican law, allowed to pay a fine of 1034 pesos (about USD 90) in lieu of a prison sentence of that many days. However, eyewitnesses contradict Cen Yam's claim to have been driving and also González Nova's claim that the boat was travelling at a speed of only one knot. MacColl's family are campaigning for a judicial review into the events surrounding her death, including an application to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. The BBC has featured on several of its channels a documentary by Olivia Lichtenstein, entitled Who Killed Kirsty MacColl?

In 2001, a bench was placed by the southern entrance to London's Soho Square as a memorial to her, after a lyric from one of her most poignant songs: "One day I'll be waiting there/ No empty bench inSoho Square.

Big Boy On A Saturday Night
Kirsty MacColl Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The last of England's spoiled brats
Grand order of the gutter rats
A big fish in a public house
You're never going to learn to shut your mouth
A silly pseudo lager lout
With nothing much to shout about
Spent hours looking in the mirror
Trying to perfect the perfect pout

Now take the spotlight
And pause for your applause
Well my oh my you're such a big boy
On a Saturday night
You try but there is always something
Something not right inside
There's always someone
Somebody else to take
The power and the glory
All for themselves

With you I suffered heaven knows
Although we never came to blows
It's just as well 'cause I can tell
I would have wiped the floor with you
You don't like 'them' you don't like 'us'
You make me laugh but seriously
I look at you what do I see?
A clapped out Nazi with a blunderbuss

So take the spotlight
And pause for your applause
Well my oh my you're such a big boy
On a Saturday night
You try but there is always something
Something not right inside
There's always someone
Somebody else to take
The power and the glory
All for themselves

So take the stage and
Let's have a great big hand now
My oh my you're such a big boy
On a Saturday night
That's when you really know they love you
When somebody else will feed your face
And kiss your arse
And wonder where the time flew past

Oh yes my darling's such a
Big boy on a Saturday night

Overall Meaning

The song "Big Boy On A Saturday Night" by Kirsty MacColl seems to be a scathing critique of a particular type of individual - the loud, obnoxious, and entitled "lager lout" who thinks he's better than everyone else but really has nothing to offer. The lyrics describe this person as a "spoiled brat" who is part of the "grand order of the gutter rats," suggesting that he comes from a privileged background but has chosen to embrace a low-class lifestyle. He spends his time looking in the mirror and perfecting his "perfect pout," but despite his efforts to be impressive, there is always something not quite right about him. The chorus of the song encourages this person to take the spotlight and bask in his own glory, but ultimately there is always someone else who will come along and steal the attention and admiration that he craves.

The second verse of the song continues the criticism, with the singer stating that she has had to suffer this person's presence even though they never came to blows. She suggests that if they had fought, she would have easily emerged victorious. The person in question doesn't like "them" or "us," indicating that he is likely intolerant of anyone who is different from him. The line "a clapped out Nazi with a blunderbuss" is particularly cutting, as it suggests that this person is not only obnoxious but also dangerous and possibly racist. However, despite all this negativity, the chorus still encourages the person to take the stage and enjoy his moment in the spotlight.

Line by Line Meaning

The last of England's spoiled brats
Referring to someone who has grown up in a privileged and conceited household

Grand order of the gutter rats
A group of people who are perceived as dirty, low-class and lacking in manners

A big fish in a public house
Someone who has a certain level of popularity and influence within a local pub

You're never going to learn to shut your mouth
Telling someone that they need to stop talking and start listening or else they'll never learn anything

A silly pseudo lager lout
Describing someone who is pretending to be a tough, heavy-drinking lager drinker but in reality is not

With nothing much to shout about
Having a lack of any real achievements or accomplishments to brag about

Spent hours looking in the mirror
Obsessing over one's physical appearance to the point of spending excessive amounts of time gazing at oneself

Trying to perfect the perfect pout
Attempting to get the perfect facial expression for photos or videos, especially one that involves pouting the lips

Now take the spotlight
Take center stage and be the focus of everyone's attention

And pause for your applause
Stop briefly and wait for people to clap or otherwise show their appreciation

You try but there is always something
Even though one tries hard, there is always something that goes wrong or seems off

Something not right inside
Referring to an inner feeling that something is wrong or missing

There's always someone
Referring to the feeling of always competing with someone else or feeling threatened by others around you

Somebody else to take
Another person taking away one's power or success

The power and the glory
Referring to one's achievements or success

All for themselves
Referring to someone who is selfish and only thinks about their own success and glory

With you I suffered heaven knows
Expressing how much one had to endure while being in the company of the person being addressed

Although we never came to blows
Even though the situation never escalated to a physical fight

It's just as well 'cause I can tell
The situation could have gotten worse if they had started fighting

I would have wiped the floor with you
If there had been a physical fight, the person being addressed would have won easily

You don't like 'them' you don't like 'us'
Referring to someone who is very opinionated and dislikes certain groups of people, including those who are similar to themselves

You make me laugh but seriously
The person being addressed is entertaining but not taken seriously

I look at you what do I see?
Questioning what the true nature and identity of the person being addressed really is

A clapped out Nazi with a blunderbuss
Referring to someone who is outdated, old-fashioned and has outdated extreme political beliefs and values

Let's have a great big hand now
Encouraging the audience to applaud and cheer loudly

That's when you really know they love you
When people are willing to do things for you, such as feed you or clean up after you, it can be seen as an indication of their love and appreciation

When somebody else will feed your face
Referring to people who will serve food to someone even if they are capable of doing it themselves

And kiss your arse
Referring to people who will flatter and praise someone excessively to gain their favor or approval

And wonder where the time flew past
Reflecting on how quickly time has passed and how much fun they have had

Oh yes my darling's such a
Sarcastically referring to the person being addressed as a dear or beloved, even though they are not

Big boy on a Saturday night
Referring to the person being addressed as a macho, tough guy who is out partying on a weekend night

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KIRSTY ANNA MACCOLL, MARK EDWARD CASCIAN NEVIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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