Strike Up the Band
Ted Heath Lyrics

The lyrics to Ted Heath's song Strike Up the Band capture a sense of longing for a simpler time when things were less complicated and more innocent. The singer wistfully reminisces about a past era where tomatoes were cheaper and music was not heard through small, inadequate speakers. The use of the phrase "your favorite songs" suggests that these are songs that hold personal significance to the listener, and the idea of hearing them through a three inch speaker implies that the listener misses the richer, fuller sound of music from the past, where music was played on larger, more expansive speakers.

The next two lines speak to the idea that in the past, people had different ways of getting into trouble. Instead of dangerous drugs, people were "getting sick on beer", which shows that the singer misses a time when life was more carefree and less complicated. The final line is a nod to the idea that sexual relationships were more traditional in the past, with the singer suggesting that relationships used to require more time and commitment before physical intimacy occurred.

Overall, the lyrics of Strike Up the Band use nostalgia as a theme to create a sense of longing for a simpler, more innocent time before the modern complexities of life took over. The song paints a picture of a time when things were maybe not necessarily better, but certainly different, and the singer of the song clearly feels a sense of loss over the changes that have occurred in the years since.