Screaming Lord Sutch was born in North London. His father, a war reserve policeman, was killed in an accident when his son was 10 months old. His mother - to whom he was devoted - was a fan of Dickens; she christened him David after David Copperfield. For most of the next fifteen years they shared a flat and poverty in what he called a dead-end street in Kilburn, while she worked as a cleaner and shop assistant. Entertainment was Saturday morning pictures and the Metropolitan Music Hall, Edgeware Road. In 1956, after David had left school, they moved to South Harrow, where he became a window cleaner.
It was the birth of British rock music; a time when the young and desperate could pursue a new escape route. What he called his 'wild man of Borneo look' got Screaming Lord Sutch a spot singing at the Two I's coffee bar in Soho. His style evolved, or lurched, out of that slurry of music hall (he was a Max Miller fan), horror movies, Grand Guignol, pulp comics, slapstick and transatlantic pop. Thus did the black American rhythm & blues singer Screaming Jay Hawkins provide a name, and the basis of an act.
In 1961 he was spotted by the curious and doomed independent record producer Joe Meek. "I was doing the horror", said Sutch, "screaming and yelling. I had 18 inches of hair and I was running around in buffalo horns and my auntie's leopardskin coat. The scout said 'You've got a different approach. You want to make a record?'". Screaming Lord Sutch made records, and recorded with a clutch of (later) distinguished British rock musicians. The early subject matter focused on disembowelment and graveyards - on one occasion Meek posed Screaming Lord Sutch as Jack the Ripper in Whitechapel at night. Both men, observed Sutch, were intrigued by horror films. But he had no real hits. Indeed, by 1963 his career had been swamped by the Mersey boom.
It was then that he went to Stratford, campaigning for commercial radio, votes at 18, abolition of dog licences and his share of the spotlight, with the mix of native wit and puerility that marked his aimless - or dadaist - media courtship. The live act around Europe, and playing small halls and pubs, provided an income.
His last political hurrah was in the 1995 Littleborough and Saddleworth byelection (the OMRLP didn't have the money to run in the last European elections). But more than finances, it was perhaps the times that had finally run out.
The Cheat
Screaming Lord Sutch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Try not to care
Got about enough misery
Just too much too bear
Her kiss like honey
So warm and sweet
Her heart deceived me
She was a cheat
Blonde hair can fool you
And blue eyes too
Cruel lips can tell black lies
And break your heart for you
The days are lonely
Can't sleep or eat
My one and only
She was a cheat
Was a cheat
I need my baby
Day and the night
True lips can taste like wine
And thrill your heart for you
The days are lonely
Can't sleep or eat
My one and only
She was a cheat
Wise men will tell me
To leave was right
Wise men don't cry alone
All through the night
The days are lonely
The nights are too
Shadows still whisper
She was a cheat
She was a cheat
The lyrics to Screaming Lord Sutch's song, The Cheat, depict the emotional struggles and heartbreak of a man who has been deceived by his lover, affectionately referred to as "baby" throughout the song. Sutch's lyrics describe his devastation and the difficulty he is having coping with the betrayal. He notes how difficult it is to not care about his baby’s infidelity, and how the misery he feels due to the deception is almost too much to bear. Despite this, he still longs for her affection, craving her true love, which he describes as tasting like wine and thrilling his heart.
Sutch’s lyrics about the dangers of physical appearance provide another layer to the song. He warns about how a person's looks can deceive and lead one down a path of heartbreak. In his case, he notes how her blonde hair and blue eyes, which he may have found alluring, were used to deceive him. He also notes that cruel lips can speak lies and break one's heart. Sutch captures the pain, sadness, and loneliness of betrayed love intensely throughout the song, as he struggles to come to terms with his baby's infidelity.
Line by Line Meaning
Just left my baby
I recently broke up with my significant other.
Try not to care
I'm trying not to feel anything about the breakup.
Got about enough misery
I'm already feeling pretty miserable.
Just too much too bear
It's becoming unbearable to deal with all this.
Her kiss like honey
The physical affection from my former partner was sweet and enjoyable.
So warm and sweet
Their personality and demeanor was also friendly and endearing.
Her heart deceived me
Unfortunately, they were not truthful or loyal in the relationship.
She was a cheat
They cheated on me during the relationship.
Blonde hair can fool you
Physical appearances can be deceiving, such as the stereotype of blonde hair being attractive or trustworthy.
And blue eyes too
Similarly, blue eyes are often romanticized but reveal nothing about someone's character.
Cruel lips can tell black lies
Their words and actions were intentionally hurtful and dishonest.
And break your heart for you
Their deceptive behavior and treatment by sabotaged the emotional connection I had with them.
The days are lonely
I feel isolated and alone without them.
Can't sleep or eat
The stress and sadness is affecting my usual habits.
My one and only
They were my only romantic partner, making the betrayal harder to cope with.
She was a cheat
Their infidelity was a defining factor in the end of our relationship.
I need my baby
I still have feelings for them and miss them.
Day and the night
This longing affects me consistently, both during the day and at night.
True lips can taste like wine
A genuine romantic experience can feel intoxicating and passionate.
And thrill your heart for you
The genuine emotional engagement and chemistry can make your heart race and feel alive.
Wise men will tell me
Others advise me that my decision to leave was reasonable and intelligent.
To leave was right
Ending the relationship based on trust issues and deception was the correct choice.
Wise men don't cry alone
Mental and emotional processing of experiences is vital and helpful to healthy coping.
All through the night
The emotional processing can occur at any time, such as during the lonely hours of the night.
The days are lonely
The loneliness and sadness from the breakup continues to be felt.
The nights are too
The sadness and loneliness also affects me at night, affecting sleep and peace of mind.
Shadows still whisper
The memories and implications from their dishonesty continue to affect me.
She was a cheat
Their infidelity caused a significant amount of pain and trauma for me, ultimately leading to the end of our relationship.
Contributed by Peyton A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@vogun52
May 1966 - He really was ahead of the game with this one. I'm hard pushed to think of other tracks as trippy as this from that time.
@curthvonstrohmberg7479
Lee Hazlewoo, cover its great!
@Krawpogolov
Man, that is some crystal clear audio!
@StatesStyle
Recorded May 1966
Lyrics for The Cheat, Sutch's differ slightly from other artist's versions. A few difficult to hear words were clarified in the performance introduced by Brian Matthew here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N2vxmWUE0A&app
Just left my baby
Try not to care
Got about 'nough misery
Just too much too bear
Her kiss like honey
So warm and sweet
Her heart deceived me
She was a cheat
Blonde hair can fool you
And blue eyes too
Cruel lips can tell black lies
And break your heart for you
The days are lonely
Can't sleep or eat
My one and only
She was a cheat
Was a cheat
I need my baby
Day and the night
True lips can taste like wine
And thrill your heart for you
The days are lonely
Can't sleep or eat
My one and only
She was a cheat
Wise men will tell me
To leave was right
Wise men don't cry alone
All through the night
The days are lonely
The nights are too
Shadows still whisper
She was a cheat
She was a cheat
@MoisesSonic74
How !! what year is this song ?! thanks for this post !
@RickStaffordcartunes
MoisesSonic74 From May 1966. Was the "B" side on the single Black And Hairy.