The band shocked conservative middle Australia with their outrageous (for the time) costumes, lyrics, and on-stage activities, leading to seven of the ten tracks on their first album being banned from commercial radio. Much of the group's success derived from its distinctive repertoire, most of which was penned by bassist Macainsh.
Although Skyhooks was not the first Australian rock band to write songs in Australia, about Australians, for Australians (rather than ditties about love or songs about New York or other foreign lands), they were the first band to do so and be commercially successful, and the songs were set apart from much of the pop fare of the time thanks to Macainish's mordant humour.
The 'Hooks were the Australian pop success story of their era. Their first album, Living in the Seventies, rocketed to the top of the charts and stayed there for so long that it became the best selling Australian album ever up to that time, with the follow-up, Ego is not a Dirty Word, coming a close second. The band's success was also widely credited with saving the struggling Mushroom record label and enabling it to develop into the most successful independent Australian label of its time.
Both these LPs were produced by Ross Wilson, former lead singer of Daddy Cool, which had been the most successful Australian rock group of the early 1970s. Wilson championed the group, signing them to a publishing contract and convincing Mushroom Records boss Michael Gudinski to give them a recording contract.
Remarkably, the success of Living in the Seventies was mainly due to the enormous support the band were given by the TV pop show Countdown, rather than support from radio — in fact, most of the tracks on the LP had been banned by commercial radio because of their sex and drug references. Despite the ban, and as a deliberate act of provocation to commercial radio, the ABC's newly established 24-hour rock music station Double Jay chose the album's first track, the provocatively titled "You Just Like Me Cos I'm Good In Bed" as the first track played on air on its first day of broadcasting on January 19, 1975.
Over the next few years, Skyhooks gradually faded from the public eye with the departure of key members, and in 1980 the band announced its break-up in controversial circumstances. The demands for the band to reform were successful in 1983, with a record sum of money being paid for each of the original members to play a series of concerts. Further reformations took place in 1984 and then in 1990 the band finally recorded new material, "Jukebox in Siberia", which shot to the top of the charts.
"Shirley" Strachan and Red Symons both went on to successful careers in Australian commercial television. Symons was for many years a villain-cum-guitarist on the long-running TV show 'Hey Hey It's Saturday.' He was especially known for wielding the gong on the 'Red Faces' talent segment. He now works on ABC radio and writes humorous columns for the press. After the demise of Skyhooks, Starkie still plays locally, Freddie became the drummer in the later lineup of noted Melbourne rock band The Sports, and other acts such as The Bushwackers and the "Old Skydaddys". Greg Macainsh played with John Farnham, and in recent years has been a board member of both APRA and PPCA, and is currently completing a Law Degree. Strachan hosted a popular children's TV show 'Shirl's Neighbourhood' in the early 80s and went on to use his carpentry trade skills on air in various home improvement TV shows. He was also a familiar face at Hawthorn Football Club functions, of which he was a passionate supporter. Sadly, Strachan was killed in an air crash on August 29th, 2001, when the helicopter he was learning to fly crashed into Mount Alexander near Kilcoy, northwest of Brisbane. Strachan died instantly.
A Memorial was held to pay Tribute to Strachan at the Palais Theatre shortly after. Tribute were paid and Guest Vocalist and Producer Ross Wilson assisted on the night.
A Night to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the release of the Living in the 70s album was held in 2004. It was a historic night with several different incarnations of the band performing. The only absences were Graham Strachan and Steve Hill.
The Skyhooks and Steve Hill then reformed in 2005 in Sydney for a One-Off gig. Hill had been diagnosed with Cancer and the Original Skyhooks, Peter Inglis, Peter Starkie, Fred Strauks and Greg Macainsh joined with Hill to show their support.
The name "Skyhooks" comes from an imaginary device created in the book Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator used to hold the elevator up in mid-air.
Smut
Skyhooks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Better take a raincoat could be sticky on the seat
Open up you Twisties and open up your fly
Pictures start to flicker as your hand moves down your thigh
If your mother knew what you were doing
She'd probably hang her head and cry
And if she thought that you were whipping the dripping
Munchy Munchy Twisties the shorts are such a drag
Make a little opening in the other end of your bag
Now put your Twisties right down there in your lap
No-one ever guesses whatsit's in the pack
If your mother knew what you were doing
She'd probably hang her head and cry
And if she thought that you were whipping the dripping
She'd give you a belt, extract all the teeth of your fly
Ooh la la la la la la la la
Ooh la la la la la la la la
Better get a grip on yourself
You better pull yourself together
Picture's almost over but still your not quite there
John Wayne pulls his gun out and you wish he'd some to spare
Then they turn the lights on and people start to stare
You find you've got a boot full and your coat's stuck to the chair
If your mother knew what you were doing
She'd probably hang her head and cry
And if she thought that you were whipping the dripping
She'd give you a belt, extract all the teeth of your fly
Ooh la la la la la la la la
Ooh la la la la la la la la
The song "Smut" by Skyhooks is a humorous take on teenage male sexuality and the idea of sneaking into a cinema to watch an X-rated movie alone. The first verse paints a vivid picture of the act, cautioning the listener to bring a raincoat because the seat might be "sticky". The chorus then reminds the listener of the taboo nature of the act by suggesting that their mother would disapprove and "hang her head and cry". The second verse continues the theme with the amusing image of hiding Twisties snacks in the lap, suggesting that "no-one ever guesses what's in the pack".
Overall, the song is a cheeky and irreverent take on teenage male sexuality, with a catchy tune and humorous lyrics. It highlights the concept of rebellion against authority figures, which is a common theme in rock music. The song also reflects the cultural landscape of Australia in the 1970s, as attitudes towards sex and censorship were changing rapidly.
Line by Line Meaning
Slip into a cinema and give yourself a treat
Enter a movie theater and indulge in pleasure
Better take a raincoat could be sticky on the seat
It's wise to come prepared for unexpected events
Open up your Twisties and open up your fly
Unzip your pants and snack on Twisties
Pictures start to flicker as your hand moves down your thigh
As you pleasure yourself, the movie starts to play
If your mother knew what you were doing
Imagining a scenario where parental figures would disapprove of the situation
She'd probably hang her head and cry
The disapproval of the fictional mother could bring deep sadness
And if she thought that you were whipping the dripping
If she believed that an indecent act was committed
She'd give you a belt, extract all the teeth of your fly
A punishment involving the disassembly of one's pants
Munchy Munchy Twisties the shorts are such a drag
Snacking on Twisties provides a more enjoyable experience than dealing with uncomfortable shorts
Make a little opening in the other end of your bag
Create a new hole in the snack container for additional convenience
Now put your Twisties right down there in your lap
Place the snacks in the vicinity of one's genitals
No-one ever guesses what's in the pack
The content of the snack bag is kept secret
Better get a grip on yourself
Gain control of one's self and the situation
You better pull yourself together
Regain composure after losing control
Picture's almost over but still your not quite there
The movie is close to ending, but climax has not yet been achieved
John Wayne pulls his gun out and you wish he'd some to spare
Wishing the cowboy icon had some alternative tools for self-pleasure
Then they turn the lights on and people start to stare
Once the movie concludes, their actions may receive unwanted attention
You find you've got a boot full and your coat's stuck to the chair
Discovering an uncomfortable and unexpected situation
Ooh la la la la la la la la
Sensuous exclamation used to emphasize the topic of the song
Ooh la la la la la la la la
Repeated emphasizing discharge
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: REDMOND (1) SYMONS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@FelixRigg
This song is utterly remarkable in its artistry and invention . . and totally reprehensible in its sentiment. Love it.
@thespamdance311
70s music was a thing of beauty: joyful, good-humoured and beautifully crafted. I really was born too late!
@barryspicer6782
Great time to be a teenager. Still love Skyhooks today.
@jyeroberts1594
Me too
@pickledone9698
18yrs, REST IN PEACE SHIRL.
forever missed.
@user-nc8qu9ps6w
Miss you Shirl ❤️❤️
@alistairogilvy7696
'Better get a grip on urself, u gotta pull urself 2gether'. This was Red's contribution, as I recall...
@chezzachezza7325
I heard this when I was 9-10 I can’t believe I had no idea I liked the hooks dressing up 😂😂😂😂
@seadogal
just love this song
@user-nc8qu9ps6w
Ooh La La La!!!!