In 1975, after a failed stint at managing & relaunching the image of the notoriously hard living and chaotic band the New York Dolls, Malcolm nurtured the formation of one of the most infamous punk bands in history, The Sex Pistols. He became their manager, and controlled their contracts, as well as most importantly to him, their image in the media. The venture ended in a disastrous US tour, and a film called "The Great Rock And Roll Swindle" that featured McLaren, and glorified his untraditional Situationist PR approach and manipulative Svengali-esque role in the band's career.
In the '80s, after the Sex Pistols had long broken up, Malcolm became the manager of another band, Adam and the Ants which veered away from punk's coarse format via new romantic pirate garb and poly rhythmic African style drumming. When Adam Ant rebelled and left the band, Malcolm repackaged the musicians with a 14 year old Anglo/Burmese girl named Annabella Lwin to form the band Bow Wow Wow. He soon used his headline making skills to propel the band and their underage lead singer to the top of the charts with a nude album cover scandal.
In the early 1980's, Malcolm began producing his own records, beginning with the hits "Buffalo Gals" and "Double Dutch" from the groundbreaking 1983 album "Duck Walk" which used NYC hip hoppers and scratch DJ's The World Famous Supreme Team, as its foundation. Future members of Art of Noise performed on, produced, and/or jointly composed various tracks. He next turned to opera, masterminding a pop adaptation of "Madam Butterfly" on the album "Fans" using an assortment of female vocalists, and skilled musician Robby Kilgore on the tracks.
McLaren has released numerous other albums and tracks since, including contributions to the movie soundtracks of Carry On Columbus, and Kill Bill 2, but his musical career peaked with his 1980's works. McLaren's original "Double Dutch" era material has since been reappropriated and sampled by sucessful artists including Mariah Carey, Eminem, Amerie and De La Soul.
In his later years, McLaren occasionally contributed to newspapers and magazines, directed and produced films and appeared on British reality television programmes. He died on the morning of 8 April 2010, following a battle with cancer.
Duck For The Oyster
Malcolm McLaren Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Duck rock
All join hands and circle south
A little bit of moonshine in your mouth
Hold your hoe and resashay
Come on back the other way
Circle up four for half the night
Duck for the oyster, duck, duck, duck
Dig for the clam, dig, dig, dig
Knock a hole in the old tin can
Circle up two and buckle up four
Away you go around the floor
Duck for the oyster, duck, duck, duck
Dig for the clam, dig, dig, dig
Knock a hole in the old tin can
Circle up two and buckle up four
Away you go around the floor
Duck for the oyster, duck, duck, duck
Dig for the clam, dig, dig, dig
Knock a hole in the old tin can
And everybody swing
Swing her high
Swing her low
Swing the gal in calico
Promenade around you go
Promenade
Next couple out to the couple on the right
Circle up four for half the night
Duck for the oyster, duck, duck, duck
Dig for the clam, dig, dig, dig
Knock a hole in the old tin can
Circle up two and buckle up four
Away you go around the floor
Duck for the oyster, duck, duck, duck
Dig for the clam, dig, dig, dig
Knock that hole in the old tin can
Circle up two and buckle up four
Away you go around the floor
Duck for the oyster, duck, duck, duck
Dig for the clam, dig, dig, dig
Knock a hole in the old tin can
And everybody swing
Swing her high
Swing her low
Swing the gal in calico
Promenade around you go
Promenade
Fourth couple out to the couple on the right
Circle up four for half the night
Duck for the oyster, duck, duck, duck
Dig for the clam, dig, dig, dig
Knock a hole in the old tin can
Circle up two and buckle up four
Away you go around the floor
Duck for the oyster, duck, duck, duck
Dig for the clam, dig, dig, dig
Knock a hole in the old tin can
Circle up two and buckle up four
Away you go around the floor
Duck for the oyster, duck, duck, duck
Dig for the clam, dig, dig, dig
Knock that hole in the old tin can
Allemande left as you go around
With a big foot up and a little foot down
Like an Indian walking on the frozen ground
Hey sift your meal and mix your dough
Save your heel, tap your toe
Take your honey and walk her slow
Promenade
You know where
And I don?t care
Take your honey to a nice, soft chair.
Thank you partners
The song "Duck for the Oyster" by Malcolm McLaren features lyrics that set the tone for a lively and energetic dance. The song's lyrics describe the steps of a traditional American square dance, with calls to "circle up" and "swing" your partner. The lyrics also call for participants to "duck for the oyster" and "dig for the clam," which is likely a reference to an old game where participants "dug" for items hidden in a hole or tin can. The lyrics encourage a fun and communal atmosphere, with calls to "join hands" and "hold your hoe" to create a sense of camaraderie and togetherness.
Overall, the lyrics of "Duck for the Oyster" paint a picture of a particularly joyous and lively community event. The dance steps and whimsical commands suggest an event that is not only a celebration of music but also of socializing and coming together as a group.
Line by Line Meaning
Hit it maestro
Start the music
Duck rock
A genre of rock and roll that incorporates traditional American square dance calling
All join hands and circle south
Join hands with others and move in a circular motion to the south
A little bit of moonshine in your mouth
Drink a small amount of homemade, illegally distilled liquor
Hold your hoe and resashay
Hold your partner and move sideways back and forth
Come on back the other way
Reverse direction and repeat previous movements
First couple out to the couple on the right
The first couple moves to the couple on their right
Circle up four for half the night
Form a circle with four people and repeat the previous movements for some time
Duck for the oyster, duck, duck, duck
Lower your head and move quickly as if diving for clams
Dig for the clam, dig, dig, dig
Make digging motions with both hands
Knock a hole in the old tin can
Tap the rhythm by knocking a hole in a tin can
Circle up two and buckle up four
Form a smaller circle with two people and join four more circles to it
Away you go around the floor
Move around the dance floor
And everybody swing
Spin around with your partner
Swing her high
Lift your partner up while spinning
Swing her low
Lower your partner while spinning
Swing the gal in calico
Spin the woman wearing a cotton fabric dress
Promenade around you go
Walk around the dance floor with your partner
Promenade
Take your partner for a formal walk
Next couple out to the couple on the right
The next couple moves to the couple on their right
Fourth couple out to the couple on the right
The fourth couple moves to the couple on their right
Allemande left as you go around
Turn to the left while walking around the circle
With a big foot up and a little foot down
Step with one foot up and the other down
Like an Indian walking on the frozen ground
Move with a certain gravity and solemnity like a Native American walking on ice
Hey sift your meal and mix your dough
Hey everyone, prepare your food ingredients
Save your heel, tap your toe
Save the heel of your foot by tapping your toe instead of crushing your heel on the ground
Take your honey and walk her slow
Take your partner and walk slowly with them
You know where
This is a routine continuation
And I don?t care
This is a routine continuation
Take your honey to a nice, soft chair.
Sit down with your partner on a comfortable chair
Thank you partners
Show gratitude to your partners
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: MALCOLM MCLAREN, TREVOR HORN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Noreen Raad
I didn't know there was a video for this song !!
Thanks a lot :o)
Jean Mace
What a fixation......ducks, oysters, clams and football and hockey
RENE BASCUR
Hit it maestro
Heather Ferreira
Q. What the hell is this song about?
A. Oral sex.
And now you will never be able to listen to the lyrics the same way again. Sorry. :/
placid renegade
Duck Duck Duck