Mott the Hoople formed when Silence, a not-too-successful group from the Welsh borders, was joined by session pianist and rock and roll hopeful Ian Hunter along with musicians Mick Ralphs, Verden Allen, Pete Overend Watts, and Dale Griffin . They developed from Dylan obsessives to their own character over the course of four albums for Island. They were a very popular live act but only achieved brief commercial success.
In 1971, the band was close to splitting up but continued to record track "All the Young Dudes", a song written for them by up and coming pop star and fan David Bowie. Three more albums and several pop hits later, the group fell apart after Ian Hunter left in 1974. The remaining members mutated into Mott, an 'also-ran' band which released two albums before disbanding in 1976. Original guitarist Ralphs had a massive boost in his fortunes as a member of rockers Bad Company.
Griffin died in his sleep on 17 January 2016 at the age of 67 and Watts died, almost exactly a year later, on 22 January 2017, from throat cancer.
Stiff Upper Lip
Mott the Hoople Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's all right, just stay loose
Listen honey, there's no money
Country's ruined, down the drain.
Jimmy's feeling down, 'cos ain't got a pound,
He's leaving the sinking ship
But he ain't gonna drown; just walkin' on soft ground
Best foot forward, worst foot backward,
We shall always overcome,
Playing music for ten years now
Made no bread, we must be dumb!
People feeling down 'cos they ain't got a pound,
They're leaving the sinking ship
But you ain't gonna drown so why not stick around,
And maybe you can stay with us and help us try to make it float again.
Now look here, what's all this bickering, etc, etc?
(heckling and gyp section)
And so you see, we won't be going away, no way
We're going to stay,
We're going to get stronger,
It won't be much longer.
So be patient and be brave through the slumps
It's going to turn up trumps!
The lyrics to "Stiff Upper Lip" by Mott the Hoople can be interpreted as a message of hope and encouragement in the midst of difficult times. The first verse acknowledges the state of the country and the lack of money, but encourages the listener to "just stay loose" and not to complain. The second verse introduces Jimmy, who is feeling down because he has no money and is leaving a sinking ship, but is encouraged to stay and help put it back afloat. The chorus reinforces the idea of persistence and the need to work together to overcome adversity.
The third verse acknowledges the band's struggle to make a living through music, but asserts that they will continue to persevere. The fourth verse once again addresses those who are feeling down and leaving a sinking ship, but encourages them to stay and help make things better. The middle section of the song includes heckling and gyping, perhaps meant to represent the obstacles and challenges that the band and their fans may face. The final verse reassures the listener that things will get better, and encourages them to be patient and brave.
Overall, the song seems to suggest that even in the face of difficulty and adversity, it is important to stay strong, work together, and persevere in order to overcome challenges and create a brighter future.
Line by Line Meaning
Stop complaining, that won't be any use
Complaining won't solve any problems, so don't waste your energy on it.
It's all right, just stay loose
Don't worry too much, keep a relaxed attitude.
Listen honey, there's no money
There's a lack of money, and we need to figure out how to deal with it.
Country's ruined, down the drain.
Things are not going well for the country, and we need to find ways to improve the situation.
Jimmy's feeling down, 'cos ain't got a pound,
Jimmy is upset because he doesn't have any money.
He's leaving the sinking ship
Jimmy is leaving a difficult situation behind.
But he ain't gonna drown; just walkin' on soft ground
Despite his difficulties, Jimmy will not fail, he will simply have to work a little harder.
So why not stay with us and help us try to put it back afloat.
Why not stick around and help us find a solution?
Best foot forward, worst foot backward,
Sometimes things go well, other times they don't, but we need to keep moving forward anyway.
We shall always overcome,
We will get through this difficult time.
Playing music for ten years now
We've been working hard for a long time.
Made no bread, we must be dumb!
Despite our hard work, we haven't made much money.
People feeling down 'cos they ain't got a pound,
Some people are upset because they're struggling financially.
They're leaving the sinking ship
Some people are giving up on the difficult situation.
But you ain't gonna drown so why not stick around,
You don't have to give up, why not stay and help us find a solution?
And maybe you can stay with us and help us try to make it float again.
Stick around and work with us to improve the situation.
Now look here, what's all this bickering, etc, etc? (heckling and gyp section)
We're tired of arguing and complaining, let's focus on finding solutions.
And so you see, we won't be going away, no way
We're committed to finding a solution and sticking around.
We're going to stay,
We're not giving up.
We're going to get stronger,
We'll keep working and improving.
It won't be much longer.
We're optimistic that things will improve soon.
So be patient and be brave through the slumps
It's important to stay strong and resilient during difficult times.
It's going to turn up trumps!
We're confident that things will get better.
Contributed by Ethan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.