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".)

Uncorrected Personality Traits
Robyn Hitchcock Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Uncorrected personality traits that seem whimsical in a child may prove to
Be ugly in a fully grown adult.

Lack of involvement with the father, or over-involvement with the mother,
Can result in lack of ability to relate to sexual fears, and in homosexual
Leanings, narcissism, transexuality
(Girls from the waist up, men from the waist down),
Attempts to be your own love object.

Reconcile your parents to you by becoming both at once!
Even Marilyn Monroe was a man, but this tends to get overlooked by our
Mother-fixated, overweight, sexist media.

So,
Uncorrected personality traits that seem whimsical in a child may prove to
Be ugly in a fully grown adult.

If you give in to them
Every time they cry
They will become little tyrants
But they won't remember why
Then when they are thwarted
By people in later life
They will become psychotic
And they won't make an ideal husband or wife
The spoiled baby grows into
The escapist teenager who's
The adult alcoholic who's
The middle-aged suicide (Oy)

So,

Uncorrected personality traits that seem whimsical in a child may prove to
Be ugly in a fully grown adult.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics in Robyn Hitchcock's song "Uncorrected Personality Traits" offer a commentary on the importance of parental involvement in shaping a child's development and highlight the potential negative consequences that may arise from neglect, over-involvement or spoiling of a child. The opening lines "uncorrected personality traits that seem whimsical in a child may prove to be ugly in a fully grown adult" suggest that aspects of a child's personality that may be perceived as endearing or quirky, may turn into negative traits when they grow up.

Hitchcock goes on to discuss the potential implications of a lack of involvement from a father or over-involvement from a mother, which he suggests can result in difficulties relating to sexual fears, and may even lead to narcissism and transsexuality. The somewhat polarizing statement “girls from the waist up, men from the waist down” has been interpreted as Hitchcock’s commentary on gender identity and gender fluidity. He also suggests that by reconciling with both parents, one can become their own love object, perhaps suggesting that self-love and self-acceptance are important in developing a healthy sense of self.

The final verse of the song seems to send a warning to parents who give in to their children's every whim, arguing that this may create entitled and tyrannical behavior that can have negative consequences later in life. The lyrics "the spoiled baby grows into the escapist teenager who's the adult alcoholic who's the middle-aged suicide" suggest that allowing uncorrected personality traits to persist can have lifelong ramifications and sometimes tragic outcomes. Overall, the song offers an intriguing commentary on the importance of parental involvement, the hazards of neglect, and the need for self-love and self-acceptance in shaping one's personality.

Line by Line Meaning

Uncorrected personality traits that seem whimsical in a child may prove to Be ugly in a fully grown adult.
Personality traits that might seem cute or quirky in a child can actually turn into undesirable qualities in an adult if they aren't addressed and corrected.

Lack of involvement with the father, or over-involvement with the mother, Can result in lack of ability to relate to sexual fears, and in homosexual Leanings, narcissism, transexuality (Girls from the waist up, men from the waist down), Attempts to be your own love object.
A child's relationship with their parents can have a big impact on their sexuality and identity. A distant or absent father, or an overly involved mother, can lead to difficulty with sexual expression and desires. This can manifest in various ways, including homosexuality, narcissism, or identification as transgender. In some cases, people may even attempt to become their own object of desire.

Reconcile your parents to you by becoming both at once! Even Marilyn Monroe was a man, but this tends to get overlooked by our Mother-fixated, overweight, sexist media.
The idea of reconciliation with one's parents may involve embracing both masculine and feminine aspects of one's self. The reference to Marilyn Monroe highlights the complicated relationship our culture has with sex and gender. Despite Monroe being considered the epitome of feminine beauty, it's often forgotten that she had aspects of her identity that didn't fit traditional notions of gender. The media tends to focus only on surface-level appearances rather than the complexities of individual identity.

If you give in to them Every time they cry They will become little tyrants But they won't remember why Then when they are thwarted By people in later life They will become psychotic And they won't make an ideal husband or wife The spoiled baby grows into The escapist teenager who's The adult alcoholic who's The middle-aged suicide (Oy)
Spoiling children by giving in to their every whim can have long-lasting negative effects. Children who learn that they can get their way by crying or throwing a tantrum may grow up to be demanding, entitled, and even tyrannical. As adults, they may struggle to cope with setbacks or obstacles, becoming emotionally unstable and even violent. The final lines describe the potential outcome of a life spent avoiding responsibility and seeking escape through alcohol or other means, leading to a tragic end.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ROBYN HITCHCOCK

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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