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)
More Life in a Tramp's Vest
Stereophonics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Last minute shoppers picking cauliflower
The fuss they make, you'd swear they were buying a car
They always moan, moan it's not so cheap
Cheaper still, cheaper still down the street
Lose my rag and tell them take your bag and shop down there
Closing down, they're closing down another road
One way, system steals the show
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
The flower man sits down in the street
Surrounded by, the stock he bought last week
Bring back the ladies wearing lipstick on their teeth
Make up, we make up a crappy joke
Sit back, relax and have a smoke
Mac the knife swigs a can and sings the day away
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
I get camping eyes in the final hour
Last minute shoppers picking cauliflower
Mac the knife swigs a can and sings the day away
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
Stereophonics' song "More Life in a Tramp's Vest" brings a social commentary on consumerism and the way society perceives value. The first verses depict last-minute shoppers looking for the cheapest deals, complaining about the prices of the products they buy. However, the singer sees things differently, getting "camping eyes" and looking for more meaningful experiences. He recognizes that there's more life in a tramp's vest, meaning that living with less can lead to a more authentic and fulfilling life.
The flower man mentioned in the song could be seen as another metaphor for the value of simple things. He sits surrounded by flowers, which represent beauty and hope, and he bought them last week, meaning that he doesn't strive for novelty or material possessions. The idea is to find joy in small things and to appreciate what one has instead of incessantly wanting more.
The song concludes on the same note, where the singer, tired of the hustle and bustle of consumerism, longs for a more laid-back and relaxing lifestyle. Mac The Knife, the street musician, symbolizes this aspect by swigging a can and singing the day away, living in the moment and enjoying the little things.
In summary, "More Life in a Tramp's Vest" is a song that encourages people to look beyond material possessions and opt for a simpler, more fulfilling life.
Line by Line Meaning
I get camping eyes in the final hour
I become tired and desperate towards the end of the day
Last minute shoppers picking cauliflower
People buying groceries at the last minute, often choosing mundane items like cauliflower
The fuss they make, you'd swear they were buying a car
Shoppers make so much commotion that you'd think they were buying a high-ticket item like a car
They always moan, moan it's not so cheap
Shoppers complain that the prices aren't low enough
Cheaper still, cheaper still down the street
There are other stores nearby with even lower prices
Lose my rag and tell them take your bag and shop down there
I get angry and tell them to leave and shop somewhere else
Closing down, they're closing down another road
Another business is closing in the area
One way, system steals the show
Traffic flow is controlled by a one-way system
Mac the knife swigs a can and sings the day away
A person named Mac drinks alcohol and sings to pass the time
The flower man sits down in the street
A vendor selling flowers is sitting in the street
Surrounded by, the stock he bought last week
The vendor is surrounded by the flowers he purchased last week
Bring back the ladies wearing lipstick on their teeth
The artist longs for a time when women wore more makeup, even if it wasn't perfect
Make up, we make up a crappy joke
We create a bad joke that isn't funny
Sit back, relax and have a smoke
Take it easy and enjoy a cigarette
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
Those who have very little may actually have more vibrancy and life in their existence
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KELLY JONES, RICHARD MARK JONES, STUART CABLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Fred Jackson
I get camping eyes in the final hour
Last minute shoppers picking cauliflower
The fuss they make, you'd swear they were buying a car
They always moan, moan it's not so cheap
Cheaper still, cheaper still down the street
Lose my rag and tell them take your bag and shop down there
Closing down, they're closing down another road
One way, system steals the show
Mac the knife swigs a can and sings the day away
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
The flower man sits down in the street
Surrounded by, the stock he bought back last week
Bring back the ladies wearing lipstick on their teeth
Make up, we make up a crappy joke
Sit back, relax and have a smoke
Mac the knife swigs a can and sings the day away
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
I get camping eyes in the final hour
Last minute shoppers picking cauliflower
Mac the knife swigs a can and sings the day away
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
me
Get camping eyes in the final hour
Last minute shoppers picking cauliflower
The fuss they make, you'd swear they were buying a car
They always moan, moan it's not so cheap
Cheaper still, cheaper still down the street
Lose my rag and tell them take your bag and shop down there
Closing down, they're closing down another road
One way, system steals the show
Mac the knife swigs a can and sings the day away
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
The flower man sits down in the street
Surrounded by, the stock he bought back last week
Bring back the ladies wearing lipstick on their teeth
Make up, we make up a crappy joke
Sit back, relax and have a smoke
Mac the knife swigs a can and sings the day away
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
I get camping eyes in the final hour
Last minute shoppers picking cauliflower
Mac the knife swigs a can and sings the day away
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
Fred Jackson
I get camping eyes in the final hour
Last minute shoppers picking cauliflower
The fuss they make, you'd swear they were buying a car
They always moan, moan it's not so cheap
Cheaper still, cheaper still down the street
Lose my rag and tell them take your bag and shop down there
Closing down, they're closing down another road
One way, system steals the show
Mac the knife swigs a can and sings the day away
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
The flower man sits down in the street
Surrounded by, the stock he bought back last week
Bring back the ladies wearing lipstick on their teeth
Make up, we make up a crappy joke
Sit back, relax and have a smoke
Mac the knife swigs a can and sings the day away
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
I get camping eyes in the final hour
Last minute shoppers picking cauliflower
Mac the knife swigs a can and sings the day away
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
Jimmy10toes Jimmy10toes
Fred Jackson thanks mate I fucking love you for this 😂
Jimmy10toes Jimmy10toes
Absolute quality fuck me what a summer song! if this doesn’t get you going nothing will ❣️
me
Get camping eyes in the final hour
Last minute shoppers picking cauliflower
The fuss they make, you'd swear they were buying a car
They always moan, moan it's not so cheap
Cheaper still, cheaper still down the street
Lose my rag and tell them take your bag and shop down there
Closing down, they're closing down another road
One way, system steals the show
Mac the knife swigs a can and sings the day away
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
The flower man sits down in the street
Surrounded by, the stock he bought back last week
Bring back the ladies wearing lipstick on their teeth
Make up, we make up a crappy joke
Sit back, relax and have a smoke
Mac the knife swigs a can and sings the day away
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
I get camping eyes in the final hour
Last minute shoppers picking cauliflower
Mac the knife swigs a can and sings the day away
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
There's more life, more life, more life in a tramp's vest
RobinBlueNose17
Well well, fancy seeing you in the comments Em, biggest fan, bless you, have fun listening to this and all the others on the train 😉
Ghita Zine
La Vie Devant Nous team during the high school years give me fiiiive 😄🖑
Prvi kanal
When I listen this nostalgia hits really hard :D
Jay Peet
Great band
Tristypooz O&A
Ahhhh when they were a good band
Leapold Stotch
If your from the valleys you understand this song the most 🏴