The Story of the Blues
Pete Wylie is a Liverpool-based singer/songwriter, best known as the leader… Read Full Bio ↴Pete Wylie is a Liverpool-based singer/songwriter, best known as the leader of a group that was variously known as Wah!, Wah! Heat, The 5,000 Names of Wah! or even The Mighty Wah!. Their biggest hit single was "The Story of the Blues", which was released in late 1982, and ultimately reached Number 3 in the UK singles chart.

The Story of the Blues
Pete Wylie & The Mighty Wah! Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

.well that's my story and i'm sticking to that. So let's have another drink and let's talk about the blues. Blues is about dignity, it's about self-respect, and no matter what they take away from you - that's yours for keeps. I remember how it was, how every medium - T.V. and papers and radio and all those people were saying: 'you're on the scrap-heap, you're useless', and I remember how easy it was to start believing that. I remember how you'd hear people take it for granted that it was true - just 'cause someone with an ounce of power said so. And that's a problem now, too many oddballs, too many pocketbook psychologists and would-be philosophers with an axe to grind. But there's a solution, it's not easy, but it's a matter of coming to terms in your heart with situation you're in, a matter of choosing how things go for you and not having things forced upon you. There are plenty of forces against you, forcing you against your will, your ideals - you've got to hope for the best, and that's the best you can hope for - you've got to hope against hope... I remember something Sal Paradise said, he said: 'the city intellectuals of the world are debauched from the full body blood-of-the-land and are just rootless fools'. So listen, when the smile, the condescending pat-on-the-back comes and says: 'we're sorry, but you're nothing, you've got nothing for us and we've got nothing for you', you say: 'No', and say it loud: "NO!", and remember, people who talk about revolution and a class-struggle without referring explicitly to everyday life, without understanding what is subversive about love, and what is positive in the refusal and constraint...since people have a corpse in their mouth..."




Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Pete Wylie and the Mighty WAH!'s song, The Story Of The Blues, convey a powerful message of resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity. The song celebrates the dignity and self-respect inherent in the blues, a genre born out of struggle and hardship. The lyrics reflect on the ways in which society and the media can strip individuals of their worth and agency, reducing them to nothing but discarded refuse. Despite these forces working against them, the song encourages listeners to find hope and agency in the face of hardship, to choose their own path and refuse to be forced into a life they do not want. It reminds us that when society tells us we are nothing, we can choose to say "NO!" and reclaim our worth and dignity for ourselves.


The lyrics also reference the writings of Jack Kerouac, specifically a quote from his novel "On the Road." This reflects the themes of freedom and rebellion that pervade the song. It is a call to action, encouraging listeners to resist the forces that seek to limit us and instead embrace the power and resilience of the blues.


Line by Line Meaning

.well that's my story and i'm sticking to that.
I have told you my truth and I will not be swayed from it.


So let's have another drink and let's talk about the blues.
Let us continue discussing the blues over drinks.


Blues is about dignity, it's about self-respect, and no matter what they take away from you - that's yours for keeps.
The blues is rooted in a sense of self-worth, and even if others try to diminish that, it is something that cannot be taken away.


I remember how it was, how every medium - T.V. and papers and radio and all those people were saying: 'you're on the scrap-heap, you're useless', and I remember how easy it was to start believing that.
I recall a time when the media and others loudly proclaimed my worthlessness, and how tempting it was to believe them.


I remember how you'd hear people take it for granted that it was true - just 'cause someone with an ounce of power said so.
It was disheartening to witness how readily some accepted these negative messages as truth, simply based on the authority of the messenger.


And that's a problem now, too many oddballs, too many pocketbook psychologists and would-be philosophers with an axe to grind.
Today, there are still too many individuals who seek to assert their opinions, no matter how ill-informed, and who have their own agendas in play.


But there's a solution, it's not easy, but it's a matter of coming to terms in your heart with situation you're in, a matter of choosing how things go for you and not having things forced upon you.
The solution is difficult, but it is about finding inner peace with your circumstances and taking control of them, rather than being a helpless victim of external forces.


There are plenty of forces against you, forcing you against your will, your ideals - you've got to hope for the best, and that's the best you can hope for - you've got to hope against hope...
Many factors seek to push you down and compromise your values - all you can do is hope for the best and continue despite the odds.


I remember something Sal Paradise said, he said: 'the city intellectuals of the world are debauched from the full body blood-of-the-land and are just rootless fools'.
Sal Paradise once noted that urban intellectuals who are disconnected from nature and the land are lost and without direction.


So listen, when the smile, the condescending pat-on-the-back comes and says: 'we're sorry, but you're nothing, you've got nothing for us and we've got nothing for you', you say: 'No', and say it loud: "NO!",
Despite those who offer hollow apologies and insincere sympathy, it is necessary to stand up for oneself and say a firm "no" to such treatment.


and remember, people who talk about revolution and a class-struggle without referring explicitly to everyday life, without understanding what is subversive about love, and what is positive in the refusal and constraint...since people have a corpse in their mouth...
It is important to remember that those who speak of societal upheaval without acknowledging the importance of individual experience and the power of love are misguided and unhelpful.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PETE WYLIE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

@MadFranko008

Now with lyrics ... click on "Subtitles/ Closed Captions" to display them... :-)

@steve61098

MadFranko008 where?

@MadFranko008

@ steve61098: Erm... try actaully reading the very post here you just asked that question on !!! :-o

@deadbydayinblack

@Michael Hicks part 2 is more a diatribe on tory policy in 80s uk. Still is worthy of a listen. ( just not exactly one you could sing )


..Well that's my story and I'm sticking to that. So let's have another drink and let's talk about the blues. Blues is about dignity, it's about self-respect, and no matter what they take away from you - that's yours for keeps. I remember how it was, how every medium - TV and papers and radio and all those people were saying: 'you're on the scrap-heap, you're useless', and I remember how easy it was to start believing that. I remember how you'd hear people take it for granted that it was true - just 'cause someone with an ounce of power said so. And that's a problem now, too many oddballs, too many pocketbook psychologists and would-be philosophers with an axe to grind. But there's a solution, it's not easy, but it's a matter of coming to terms in your heart with situation you're in, a matter of choosing how things go for you and not having things forced upon you. There are plenty of forces against you, forcing you against your will, your ideals - you've got to hope for the best, and that's the best you can hope for - you've got to hope against hope... I remember something Sal Paradise said, he said: 'the city intellectuals of the world are debauched from the full body blood-of-the-land and are just rootless fools'. So listen, when the smile, the condescending pat-on-the-back comes and says: 'we're sorry, but you're nothing, you've got nothing for us and we've got nothing for you', you say: 'No', and say it loud: "NO!", and remember, people who talk about revolution and a class-struggle without referring explicitly to everyday life, without understanding what is subversive about love, and what is positive in the refusal and constraint... since people have a corpse in their mouth.

@helenwaldron7542

Isn't he tired of it yet... Never!!xxx🏟️🏖️🏚️🎈🎈Part two.. Tooxx✌️

@zebraspot69

Many thanks to keep this song alive..i love it!

1 More Replies...

@ogenevieve

Can't we all just be this young and beautiful forever?

@andysmith8890

I still am in my own head 😁

@janetwestwood9194

🦲👍👀❣🇬🇧

@stephenwivverP

I wish👍👍👍

More Comments

More Versions