10. Handbags And Gladrags
Stereophonics Lyrics


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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

Overall Meaning

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
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@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



All comments from YouTube:

@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! 🐲

1 More Replies...

@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

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