Produced by Saint Etienne
Rec… Read Full Bio ↴Written by Bob Stanley & Pete Wiggs
Produced by Saint Etienne
Recorded Winter 1990
Released January 1995 on I Love to Paint
Notes "Intended to be the screaming finale to Foxbase Alpha, the comic aspects of the 1980's turned it into a show tune while our backs were turned. Eventually ended up on a 'Volume' compilation. Dulcet tones courtesy of Stephen Duffy." Bob Stanley, 1994.
"Stephen Duffy came in to do it - he had a list of things to go in and say and as soon as he opened his mouth we were in hysterics. He sounded so dubious about it and we were giggling all the time." engineer Ian Catt, 2009.
"I knew Bob through the things he'd written about me in Melody Maker, so when they asked me to do something with them I thought they wanted me to sing. I think this might have been before Sarah joined. I can't remember. Anyway, we'd all heard the demo of The Osmonds by Denim and, aware of the '70s angle of it, we had the idea of trying to conjure some wistful nostalgia over the '80s." Stephen Duffy, 1992
Fake 88
Saint Etienne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[sarah:]
"i am tired and I'm bored,", he said. /
"and I've got kinks in my bed. /
This work, how I hate it, I'd much rather play, /
Nothing to do, but I do need a rest." /
[whispered:] let's just get started and make a mess...
Morton stood up and said "what's that? /
It's the fifteenth of may, and I'm cold, and I'm wet." /
He turned without stopping / and smiled to the pilot.
People weather the terrible storm. /
A distant space ? ? ?
[stephen:]
A scene from a film circa 1982.
We drove down george street, en route to wendy's.
Glenn campbell was on the radio singing about cleaning his gun
And dreaming of galveston.
"what's this? " she said.
"it's hall & oates or nothing for me."
Of course, this was pre-house nation
And I asked her "what is anyone going to remember this decade for? "
She paused for a second, then said:
"waffle cardigans, wentworth jail,
Rah-rah skirts straight out of hell,
Andrew ? ? ? and bmx bikes,
Chernenko and miners' strikes,
Nikky kershaw and red ken,
Peter tatchell and dirty den,
Mark king slapped his bass,
And early issues of the face,
Sigue sigue sputnik, margaret thatcher,
Toto coelo, and spycatcher,
E.t., arthur, elmo's fire,
Not a patch on billy liar,
Phil redmond and transformers,
Tin-tin duffy in leg-warmers,
Stu damer, evil tel,
Roger hebert, what a pal,
Steven waldorf, jerry gross,
Do the hucklebuck by coast to coast,
Steve blacknell on the telly,
The classic beard of altobelli,
Leon klinghofer, baby duck(? ),
Blonde highlights, flourescent sock,
Steve lynex and gordon smith,
Martin fry grew a quiff,
Haysi fantayzee, videotech,
Shakey drove us crazy, what the heck,
Hazel o'connor in breaking glass,
Gripper stebson's in the class."
And I said, "i don't remember any of that. if you can remember the '80s you weren't there. uh, you know, I remember scott crolla in his furry freak brothers t-shirt, if that's anything."
The lyrics of Saint Etienne's "Fake 88" revolve around the themes of nostalgia, boredom, and playfulness. The song begins with Sarah expressing her fatigue and boredom with work and the desire to rest, which leads to a suggestion to make a mess. It then transitions to Stephen sharing a scene from a film in 1982, where they drove down George Street while Glenn Campbell played on the radio. Stephen then asks what people would remember from the decade, with Sarah rambling off a list of various pop culture moments that she remembers, and in the end, Stephen argues that if anyone remembers the 80s, they weren't there.
The song seems to have a reflective and nostalgic tone, as it centers around reminiscing about the past and the things that one may or may not remember from it. The desire for playfulness and rest ties into the idea of living in the moment and letting go of the pressures of work and responsibility. Additionally, the mention of various pop culture moments and icons serves to place the song within a specific cultural context and adds an element of nostalgia for the time and the people who lived through it.
Line by Line Meaning
"i am tired and I'm bored," he said.
He expressed his weariness and monotony of life.
"and I've got kinks in my bed."
He had physical discomfort in his bed.
"This work, how I hate it, I'd much rather play,"
He disliked his work and wanted to have fun instead.
"Nothing to do, but I do need a rest."
He had no plans but needed a break.
"let's just get started and make a mess..."
They are willing to act impulsively and create chaos.
"It's the fifteenth of may, and I'm cold, and I'm wet."
The singer was uncomfortable and affected by the weather.
"He turned without stopping / and smiled to the pilot."
He didn't interrupt his walking and greeted the pilot with a smile.
"People weather the terrible storm."
People face and overcome difficult times.
"A distant space ? ? ?"
The meaning of these lines is unclear, and may indicate a sense of disconnect.
"A scene from a film circa 1982."
The artist is trying to evoke a sense of nostalgia.
"it's hall & oates or nothing for me."
The singer has a fixed preference for Hall & Oates music.
"Of course, this was pre-house nation"
This was a period of time before the rise of house music culture.
"She paused for a second, then said: ..."
The singer is listing a series of cultural references from the 80s.
"And I said, "I don't remember any of that..."
The singer is skeptical of the accuracy of the previous cultural references.
Contributed by Julian D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@foxbasealpha5171
One of the finest tunes ever made!!
@rodrikuro
CLASSIC SAINT ETIENNE JUST CAME HERE TO SAY THAT THIS SONG IS MAGNIFICAL, AND THAT OUTRO OMG THE BEST THING I HEARD IN MY LIFE!.
About the song:
Written by Bob Stanley & Pete Wiggs
Produced by Saint Etienne
Recorded Winter 1990
Released January 1995 on I Love to Paint
Notes "Intended to be the screaming finale to Foxbase Alpha, the comic aspects of the 1980's turned it into a show tune while our backs were turned. Eventually ended up on a 'Volume' compilation. Dulcet tones courtesy of Stephen Duffy." Bob Stanley, 1994.
"Stephen Duffy (Duran Duran) came in to do it - he had a list of things to go in and say and as soon as he opened his mouth we were in hysterics. He sounded so dubious about it and we were giggling all the time." engineer Ian Catt, 2009.
"I knew Bob through the things he'd written about me in Melody Maker, so when they asked me to do something with them I thought they wanted me to sing. I think this might have been before Sarah joined. I can't remember. Anyway, we'd all heard the demo of The Osmonds by Denim and, aware of the '70s angle of it, we had the idea of trying to conjure some wistful nostalgia over the '80s." Stephen Duffy, 1992.
@foxbasealpha5171
I'd give an arm to see all their best b sides live! I'd handpick 25 favorites and hand them my arm. 😁
@rodrikuro
They need to do it!🤍 Just hope someday happens. I mean in reality because it happens but only in my dreams haha.
@foxbasealpha5171
@@rodrikuro Let's put those vibes out!!