Described as "classic UK rock delivered with whiskey vocals", the band have been summarised as possessing a sound akin to the genres of alternative rock and "British traditional rock". Stereophonics' debut album, Word Gets Around, was released in August 1997 and charted at number six in the UK, aided by the singles "Local Boy in the Photograph", "More Life in a Tramps Vest" and "A Thousand Trees". The band reached mainstream success with the release of Performance and Cocktails (and its promotional singles "The Bartender and the Thief", "Just Looking" and "Pick a Part That's New") in 1999 and have achieved a total of ten top-ten singles as well as one number one: "Dakota" (2005). Having sold around 10 million copies worldwide by 2016, Stereophonics are one of the most successful Welsh rock acts. Upon their release of Pull the Pin, they achieved five consecutive UK number one albums.
The band have also been praised for their live performances, which have landed them headlining slots at many of the UK and Ireland's most high-profile music festivals, including Reading and Leeds in 2000, Glastonbury in 2002, V Festival in 2002, the Isle of Wight in 2004 and 2009, Oxegen in 2010, Tramlines Festival and TRNSMT in 2018, and Latitude in 2019. The band is part of the Cardiff music scene.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereophonics
Studio albums
Word Gets Around (1997)
Performance and Cocktails (1999)
Just Enough Education to Perform (2001)
You Gotta Go There to Come Back (2003)
Language. Sex. Violence. Other? (2005)
Pull the Pin (2007)
Keep Calm and Carry On (2009)
Graffiti on the Train (2013)
Keep the Village Alive (2015)
Scream Above the Sounds (2017)
Kind (2019)
Oochya! (2022)
10. Handbags And Gladrags
Stereophonics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Trying to make the other side
Ever seen a young girl growing old
Trying to make herself a bride
So what becomes of you my love
When they have finally stripped you of
The handbags and the gladrags
Once I was a young man
All I thought I had to do was smile
While you are still a young girl
And you bought everything in style
So once you think you're in you're out
'Cause you don't mean a single thing without
The handbags and the gladrags
That your poor old Granddad had to sweat to buy you
Sing a song of six-pence for your sake
And drink a bottle full of rye
Four and twenty blackbirds in a cake
And bake them all in a pie
They told me you missed school today
So what I suggest you just throw them all away
The handbags and the gladrags
That your poor old Granddad had to sweat to buy you
They told me you missed school today
So I suggest you just throw them all away
The handbags and the gladrags
That your poor old Granddad had to sweat to buy you
The Stereophonics’ song “Handbags and Gladrags” is a powerful commentary on the fleeting nature of materialism and the pitfalls of social climbing. The lyrics touch upon the struggles that people face to maintain their status and how material possessions often define that status. The opening lines of the song describe a blind man crossing the road and a young girl growing old while trying to make herself a bride. The image of the blind man crossing the road represents the idea that people are often blinded by their pursuit of money and status, leading them to make poor decisions. The young girl growing old and trying to make herself a bride shows how people are often pressured to conform to societal expectations and how these expectations can lead to a sense of meaninglessness when they are not fulfilled.
The chorus of the song questions what becomes of a person when they are stripped of their handbags and gladrags, the material items that are meant to signify their status and worth. The lyrics suggest that without these material objects, individuals may lose their sense of worth and meaning. The song also speaks to the idea of generational sacrifice, with the mention of the poor old Granddad who had to sweat to buy the handbags and gladrags for his descendants. The song suggests that we should not take for granted the sacrifices that others make on our behalf and recognize the true value of material possessions.
Line by Line Meaning
Ever seen a blind man cross the road
Have you ever witnessed a visually-impaired individual crossing a street?
Trying to make the other side
Striving to reach the opposite end of the road
Ever seen a young girl growing old
Have you ever witnessed a young girl aging?
Trying to make herself a bride
Attempting to marry
So what becomes of you my love
What will happen to you, my dear?
When they have finally stripped you of
After they have taken everything from you
The handbags and the gladrags
The luxurious possessions that were gifted to you
That your poor old Granddad had to sweat to buy you
Which your grandfather struggled and worked hard to purchase for you
Once I was a young man
In the past, I was a youthful person
All I thought I had to do was smile
I believed that all I needed to do was simply smile
While you are still a young girl
Whereas you are still a girl in her youth
And you bought everything in style
And you purchased everything in a fashionable manner
So once you think you're in you're out
Therefore, once you feel like you're in control, you have lost your power
'Cause you don't mean a single thing without
Because you are insignificant without
The handbags and the gladrags
The luxurious possessions that were gifted to you
That your poor old Granddad had to sweat to buy you
Which your grandfather struggled and worked hard to purchase for you
Sing a song of six-pence for your sake
I will sing a song of six pence to benefit you
And drink a bottle full of rye
And consume an entire bottle of rye
Four and twenty blackbirds in a cake
A cake filled with twenty-four blackbirds
And bake them all in a pie
Then, bake them all into a pie
They told me you missed school today
I was informed that you did not attend school today
So what I suggest you just throw them all away
Therefore, I recommend that you dispose of them all
The handbags and the gladrags
The luxurious possessions that were gifted to you
That your poor old Granddad had to sweat to buy you
Which your grandfather struggled and worked hard to purchase for you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Michael D'abo
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@oliviagriffin625
Ever seen a blind man cross the road
Trying to make the other side
Ever seen a young girl growing old
Trying to make herself a bride
So what becomes of you my love
When they have finally stripped you of
The handbags and the gladrags
That your poor old Granddad had to sweat to buy you
Once I was a young man
All I thought I had to do was smile
While you are still a young girl
And you bought everything in style
So once you think you're in you're out
'Cause you don't mean a single thing without
The handbags and the gladrags
That your poor old Granddad had to sweat to buy you
Sing a song of six-pence for your sake
And drink a bottle full of rye
Four and twenty blackbirds in a cake
And bake them all in a pie
They told me you missed school today
So what I suggest you just throw them all away
The handbags and the gladrags
That your poor old Granddad had to sweat to buy you
They told me you missed school today
So I suggest you just throw them all away
The handbags and the gladrags
That your poor old Granddad had to sweat to buy you
@rebeccarichardson1102
Just stunning vocals, he gives me goosebumps. He can smash it but he can also control it. So soulful ♥️
@juanlizama2590
....es SOLO UNA COPIA de .... LA VERDION de ROD STEWART👁️🎼🎵🎼🎵🎼🎵
@padraigjohnson927
So well said!
@sunnysxyz
Hi his voice is husky voice
Song it’s a great song but it’s a shame about his voice is so growly heavy
It’s like he’s got a sore throat
Maybe it’s all the drug abuse smoking drinking drugs he needs to sort his voice out ASAP get his voice cleared out like Liam did from Oasis
@ilonahesseling4821
@Juan lizama, No, this is the original version
@Truffle_Pup
When I went to Uni in Cardiff, a fair while ago, first day I asked this girl what are you looking forward to most about Uni life? She said "Well, i Ferkin Lurves the 'Phonics and I Fancy a Gangbang."
Ladies, gentlemen, cynts... I can can vouch that that sentence is 100% Cardiff in a nutshell. Cymru Am Byth! 🐲
@duncanlangton5348
One of the most under rated bands ever. My personal opinion is stereophonics have never been given there true acknowledgement . Fantastic 👍🏼😃
@leannewilliams9400
One of my favs
@willyoueatmypussyplease3549
Just about to write the same thing you beat me to it 😃
@vanessaoconnor1539
Totally agree