The program was known for its wit and satire, but also, as both performers constantly admitted, a large degree of toilet humour. The use of such low-brow comedy was frequently mocked by the hosts themselves. They caused occasional controversy, such as when they made repeated fun of Mal Colston's son for shouting at the media camped outside Colston's family home.
Much of the show consisted of banter between Martin and Molloy, interspersed with music and sketches. These sketches frequently lampooned celebrities, with impersonations provided by Martin. The show's announcer, Pete Smith regularly participated in sketches, often lampooning his own image as a former Sale of the Century announcer.
The pair would also interview celebrities, often bringing the guests to fits of laughter. Samuel L. Jackson was declared their favourite guest.
Each show would end by thanking the cast, crew and audience.
The show was most successful when satirising Australian society and individuals. One example is a pretend episode of 60 Minutes in which young people were portrayed as evil in typically one-sided fashion. Another was a supposed newsreel concerning the political popularity of a bag of sawdust, a thinly-veiled and scathing attack on Pauline Hanson. Another memorable sketch was the performance of the Spice Boys (a parody of the Spice Girls) singing a song with lyrics including "I've got graphic footage of Laurie Oakes eating a chocolate eclair", and was just an example of the biting satire that Martin/Molloy provided.
Martin/Molloy received several radio industry awards and produced three ARIA Award-winning albums The Brown Album (1995), Poop Chute (1996) and Eat Your Peas (1998).
The show ended in 1998 when both performers claimed exhaustion. On the final show, Martin and Molloy were to play the final song on their playlist, Cruel by Human Nature, but rejected this in favour of more highlights of previous shows.
Jack
Martin/Molloy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Il s’attaquait aux filles de vie
Les laissait mortes dans une ruelle
Et s’éloignait seul dans la nuit
Pendant que Londres s’éveillait
Jack regagnait doucement sa chambre
Et l’Angleterre se découvrait
On accusa un noble, un prêtre
Plusieurs médecins et même une dame
Mais peu importe qui Jack était
C’était l’ennemi de toutes les femmes
Jack est sorti encore ce soir
Il veut encore faire la cour
Comprenez-bien ses souffrances
Il a le couteau plus grand que la panse
Il marche seul dans le silence
Une femme est là juste devant lui
Elle marche seule comme d’autres dansent
C’est sa façon de gagner sa vie
Jack s’en approche lui offre un verre
S’approche encore, lui offre un lit
Qu’elle gardera la nuit entière
Contre cinq minutes avec lui
Et elle y va il faut bien vivre
Même si elle a peur qu’il lui arrive
Comme à ses sœurs de la rue
Que l’éventreur avait suivies
Jack a trouvé une fiancée
En cinq minutes, il l’a tuée
Ainsi finit la vie d’une femme
Par une caresse en forme de lame
Et Jack s’éloigne du bout des pieds
Heureux comme un nouveau marié
En laissant morte dans une ruelle
Une autre épouse qu’il sait fidèle
The song “Jack” by Martin/Molloy is about Jack the Ripper, one of the most notorious serial killers in history. The lyrics describe how Jack would attack and murder women, leaving their dead bodies in alleys before escaping into the night. The song also comments on the societal attitudes towards sex work and how women who worked in that profession were often victimized and disregarded by law enforcement.
The song suggests that Jack’s true identity was never actually discovered, despite many accusations that were made. The lyrics state that regardless of who Jack actually was, he was still an enemy to all women due to his violent actions. The song ends with Jack finding his next victim, a woman who he offers a drink and a bed to before ultimately killing her.
Overall, the song highlights the gruesome nature of Jack the Ripper’s crimes and the societal issues that contributed to his ability to continue committing them without being caught.
Line by Line Meaning
Jack l’éventreur tuait les femmes
Jack the ripper killed women
Il s’attaquait aux filles de vie
He attacked girls of the night
Les laissait mortes dans une ruelle
He left them dead in an alleyway
Et s’éloignait seul dans la nuit
And walked away alone in the night
Pendant que Londres s’éveillait
While London was waking up
Jack regagnait doucement sa chambre
Jack slowly returned to his room
Et l’Angleterre se découvrait
And England was discovering
Soudain une ville entre les jambes
Suddenly a city between their legs
On accusa un noble, un prêtre
They accused a nobleman, a priest
Plusieurs médecins et même une dame
Several doctors and even a lady
Mais peu importe qui Jack était
But it doesn't matter who Jack was
C’était l’ennemi de toutes les femmes
He was the enemy of all women
Jack est sorti encore ce soir
Jack has gone out again tonight
Il veut encore faire la cour
He wants to court again
Comprenez-bien ses souffrances
Understand his suffering
Il a le couteau plus grand que la panse
He has a knife bigger than his stomach
Il marche seul dans le silence
He walks alone in the silence
Une femme est là juste devant lui
A woman is just in front of him
Elle marche seule comme d’autres dansent
She walks alone like others dance
C’est sa façon de gagner sa vie
It's her way of making a living
Jack s’en approche lui offre un verre
Jack approaches her and offers her a drink
S’approche encore, lui offre un lit
He gets closer, offers her a bed
Qu’elle gardera la nuit entière
That she will keep for the entire night
Contre cinq minutes avec lui
In exchange for five minutes with him
Et elle y va il faut bien vivre
And she goes, she has to make a living
Même si elle a peur qu’il lui arrive
Even if she's afraid it might happen to her
Comme à ses sœurs de la rue
Like her sisters on the street
Que l’éventreur avait suivies
That the ripper had followed
Jack a trouvé une fiancée
Jack has found a fiancee
En cinq minutes, il l’a tuée
In five minutes, he killed her
Ainsi finit la vie d’une femme
Thus ends the life of a woman
Par une caresse en forme de lame
By a caress in the form of a blade
Et Jack s’éloigne du bout des pieds
And Jack walks away on tiptoe
Heureux comme un nouveau marié
Happy as a newlywed
En laissant morte dans une ruelle
Leaving another dead in an alleyway
Une autre épouse qu’il sait fidèle
Another wife that he knows is faithful
Lyrics © Évangeline/APEM
Written by: Andreanne Martin, Pierre Huet
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind