Robyn Raymond Hitchcock (born 3rd March 1953) is an English singer-songwrit… Read Full Bio ↴Robyn Raymond Hitchcock (born 3rd March 1953) is an English singer-songwriter and psych folk guitarist. While primarily a vocalist and guitarist, he also plays harmonica, piano, and bass guitar. Many of Hitchcock's album covers bear his paintings or drawings, and his albums' liner notes sometimes include a printed short story. His live concerts usually include a considerable amount of story-telling, imaginative and surreal ad-libbed monologues in his lyrical style. He is the son of novelist Raymond Hitchcock and the brother of artist Lal Hitchcock.

He regularly does solo work, and returns again and again to bands he has formed like The Soft Boys and The Egyptians. Hitchcock is an avid and able collaborator with people like director Jonathan Demme, actor Alan Rickman, country/folk duo (and longtime Hitchcock fans) Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, The Venus 3, R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, Young Fresh Fellows' frontman Scott McCaughey, Andy Partridge of XTC, Nick Lowe, former Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones, Jon Brion, and Grant-Lee Phillips, as well as Ministry's Bill Rieflin.

Hitchcock's musical and lyrical styles have been influenced by his appreciation of Bob Dylan, Gregory Corso, The Byrds, Country Joe & The Fish, and Syd Barrett.

Hitchcock's lyrics are an essential component of his work, and tend to include surrealism, comedic songs, characterisations of English eccentrics, plant roots, insects, trains, dreams, and melancholy depictions of everyday life. His themes include what many psychologists view as the roots of modern neurosis - namely, death, sex, and eating. (As if in recognition of these themes, he released an EP in 2007 called "Sex, Food, Death and Tarantulas".)

Trash
Robyn Hitchcock Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

So you're photographed with Charlie Watts
It doesn't mean to say you're not
Just a loser

And you wish you could be Brian Jones
But now he's just a heap of bones
That's one better than you, you're a loser

And you photograph with Iggy, too
Cause you think it might rub off on you
Forget it, you're a loser

You're just trash
You're just trash
You're just trash
And you're a loser

And last time you were down the Hope
I saw you hustling for a piece of dope
God you're embarrassing sometimes

You're just trash
You're just trash
You're just trash
And you're a loser

So if we should meet up some time
Don't act like you're a friend of mine
Put your arm round me
I don't want to be
A loser

So you're photographed with Charlie Watts

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Robyn Hitchcock's "Trash" is a satirical take on fame and aspiration. The opening line, "So you're photographed with Charlie Watts, it doesn't mean to say you're not just a loser" sets the tone of the song that celebrity does not equate to success or happiness. The line "And you wish you could be Brian Jones, but now he's just a heap of bones, that's one better than you, you're a loser" further emphasizes the theme of the song. Brian Jones, the former Rolling Stones guitarist, died due to substance abuse and overshadowed by his famous bandmates, and the lyrics state that even his tragic end is superior to being an ordinary loser.

The song mentions Iggy Pop, another iconic rock star, to point out that trying to associate oneself with famous people in the hope of becoming like them is a futile attempt. When Hitchcock sings "And last time you were down the Hope, I saw you hustling for a piece of dope," he is mocking the desperation that some people display, even if they are seen as successful by others. By addressing the subject as "you" rather than using the third-person, Hitchcock personalizes the theme and makes it clear that everyone can be a loser or trash, regardless of their public image.

In conclusion, "Trash" is a witty and acerbic song that uses humor to criticize the obsession with fame and celebrity. It suggests that character and morality are more important than fame, and it is a reminder that even the most celebrated individuals can be losers in their lives.

Line by Line Meaning

So you're photographed with Charlie Watts
Your picture was taken with Charlie Watts, the drummer of the Rolling Stones.

It doesn't mean to say you're not / Just a loser
Being photographed with a famous drummer doesn't change the fact that you are still a loser.

And you wish you could be Brian Jones / But now he's just a heap of bones / That's one better than you, you're a loser
You admire Brian Jones and wish to be like him, but he's dead and decomposed, which is still one step ahead of you, who is an ordinary loser.

And you photograph with Iggy, too / Cause you think it might rub off on you / Forget it, you're a loser
You take a picture with Iggy Pop, another famous musician, hoping to improve your reputation or status, but it won't work because you are a loser.

You're just trash / You're just trash / You're just trash / And you're a loser
You are worthless, unimportant, and insignificant, and you are also a loser.

And last time you were down the Hope / I saw you hustling for a piece of dope / God you're embarrassing sometimes
The last time you were at the Hope, I witnessed you trying to obtain drugs by whatever means necessary, and your actions were disgraceful.

So if we should meet up sometime / Don't act like you're a friend of mine / Put your arm round me / I don't want to be / A loser
If we happen to run into each other in the future, do not pretend we are friends, and do not physically touch me, as I do not want to be associated with a loser like you.

Contributed by Liam A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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