Attending Goldsmiths College, London, where he studied Drama, Innes started a band with other students that was originally named The Bonzo Dog Dada Band (after the art movement Dada) which they renamed the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band (later shortened to The Bonzo Dog Band). Innes had met Vivian Stanshall at the Central School of Art, where both studied drawing. Together they wrote most of the band's songs, including "The Urban Spaceman", their sole hit (produced by Apollo C. Vermouth, an alias for Paul McCartney), and "Death Cab for Cutie", which featured in The Beatles' film Magical Mystery Tour (1967). Innes won an Ivor Novello Award for Best Novel(ty) Song in 1968 for "I'm the Urban Spaceman".
After the break-up of The Bonzo Dog Band, Innes joined with former Dog Band bassist Dennis Cowan, drummer Ian Wallace and guitarist Roger McKew to form The World, a band hoping for "more commercial" success with music ranging from rock to pure pop, yet still retaining some Doo-Dah flavour and even some of the humour. Unfortunately for them, by the time their sole album, Lucky Planet, was released in 1970, the members had already disbanded and were moving on to other projects.
Innes went on to collaborate with members of Monty Python and released several solo albums in the Seventies. In 1978, Innes and Eric Idle (of Python) created a Beatles spoof band, The Rutles, and filmed a mockumentary of the same name. Innes then became the star of a BBC television series, The Innes Book of Records which ran from 1979 to 1981.
In late 2010, Innes took part in the formation of The Idiot Bastard Band, a comedy musical collective featuring himself, Adrian Edmondson, Phill Jupitus, Simon Brint and Rowland Rivron. The band debuted at The Wilmington Arms in London in December that year, playing a range of comedy songs old and new, with deliberately little rehearsal. In 2011, Jupitus was unable to take part due to prior commitments and was replaced by several special guests, including Paul Whitehouse, Barry Cryer and Nigel Planer. Following the death of Brint in May 2011, the band performed a further tour in 2012.
Libido
Neil Innes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The moon is bright above
The stars are in the sky,
The night was made for love
Caramba, ay, ay, ay!
Seorita por favor
Take me in your arms and love me ever more
Libido, libido, libido
Libido, libido, libido
Dancing the night away!
They say little girls are made of sugar and spice
And all things nice but I don't think so (Oh No!)
No I don't think so (Ah!)
They say little boys are made of slugs and snails
And puppy dogs' tails but I don't think so (Oh no!)
No I don't think so (Ah ha!)
Libido, libido, libido
Boys and girls come out to play
Libido, libido, libido
Dancing the night away
La la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la
La la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la
La la la la
Knows plenty Nostradamus
Scope horo solitaire
A chink we call Confucius
Vamanos Fred Astaire
Banditos con pistolas
A paso doble too
Hasta la maana
When I come home to you
Libido, libido, libido
Boys and girls come out to play
Libido, libido, libido
Dancing the night away
Libido, libido, libido
Boys and girls come out to play
Libido, libido, libido
Dancing the night away
Everybody Dance!
La la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la
La la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la
Ay, Carnival!
La la la la...
Neil Innes’s song “Libido” is a jubilant celebration of youthful sexual energy and desire. The first verse sets the scene for a romantic and passionate night when the moon is bright above, the stars are out in the sky, and the air is filled with passion. The singer asks a Seorita to take him in her arms and love him forevermore. The chorus, “Libido, Libido, Libido,” emphasizes the irresistible urge and energy to dance and enjoy life to its fullest extent.
In the second verse, Innes challenges the traditional idea that little girls are made of sugar and spice and all things nice, and little boys are made of slugs and snails and puppy dogs’ tails, and dismisses them as irrelevant, indicating that everyone has a powerful libido. The bridge in the middle of the song, with its mixed language and culture imagery, takes us on a surrealistic journey where anything is possible by mentioning Confucius, Nostradamus, Fred Astaire, and so on, all building up the carefree abandon of the carnival-like atmosphere, where everyone has come out to play.
Interestingly, “Libido” is not only a confirmation of youth culture, but it is also noteworthy for its lyrics subtly challenging the traditional gender roles and norms often found in popular music of the time. The song presents an inclusive approach to gender and sexuality, indicating that everyone has a powerful and positive libido that they should celebrate and enjoy.
Line by Line Meaning
Caramba, ay, ay, ay!
Wow, this is exciting, let's go!
The moon is bright above
The night is beautiful and romantic, perfect for love-making.
The stars are in the sky,
The sky is full of stars, adding to the mood of the moment.
The night was made for love
This is a special night tailor-made for romantic endeavors.
Seorita por favor
Miss, come here, I want to be with you.
Take me in your arms and love me ever more
Hold me tight, hug me and show me love like never before.
Libido, libido, libido
The sexual energy is high, and we're feeling it.
Boys and girls come out to play
Everyone is out to have fun and enjoy life to the fullest.
Dancing the night away!
We're going to dance until dawn, and enjoy every second of it.
They say little girls are made of sugar and spice
Society stereotypes females to be good-natured and pure, but that is not always the reality.
And all things nice but I don't think so (Oh No!)
I don't believe that at all; there's more to girls than what society portrays.
They say little boys are made of slugs and snails
Likewise, society perpetuates the myth that boys are rough and dirty, which is not always true.
And puppy dogs' tails but I don't think so (Oh no!)
I disagree with that stereotype too; there's more to boys than violence and aggression.
Libido, libido, libido
Sexual energy is again high, and we're ready to keep having fun.
Banditos con pistolas
People with guns are around, but we're not afraid.
Hasta la maana
We'll dance until the sun comes up.
When I come home to you
We'll continue our romance even after the night is over.
Everybody Dance!
Let's keep dancing because more fun is to be had.
Ay, Carnival!
A celebratory exclamation, we're having a great time!
Contributed by Caden O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@priscillagonzalez4882
Let's dance 💃 (dances)