Their first release (January 1978) was the single "14th Floor / Oxford Street W1". Their second release, the EP Where's Bill Grundy Now? features one of their best-known songs, "Part Time Punks".
The Television Personalities' first album And Don't the Kids Just Love It was released in 1981. It set the template for their subsequent career: neo-psychedelia, an obsession with youth culture of the 1960s, a fey, slightly camp lyrical attitude, and the occasional classic pop song. Their second album Mummy Your Not Watching Me [sic] demonstrated increased psychedelic influences. Their third album, ironically entitled They Could Have Been Bigger Than The Beatles showed Treacy's sense of irony: the TVPs (as they are affectionately known) were never to have any major commercial success. The first three albums featured Treacy and schoolmate Ed Ball; Ball left the band to found The Times, but rejoined in 2004.
The 1985 album The Painted Word was unexpectedly dark in content, reflecting Treacy's despair at Thatcherite Britain and his personal circumstances.
Various line up changes prevented their next album (Privilege) from appearing until 1990. Their next album Closer to God was a combination of fey sixties style pop and darker material, similar in tone to The Painted Word.
The album Don't Cry Baby, It's Only a Movie was released in 1998. Since then Treacy has battled mental health problems, and his addictions to heroin, amphetamine and alcohol. He has been homeless on various occasions and was briefly arrested and imprisoned in 2003/2004. However, since his release, Treacy has attempted to get his life back together and in February 2006 a new TVPs album My Dark Places was released. Despite their small sales the TVPs were very influential on British music in the 1980s, especially the so-called C86 generation and many of the bands on Creation Records.
In an article in The Guardian on April 24 2006, it was implied that Dan Treacy is in some way behind the Arctic Monkeys, although this is based on little more than a perceived similarity between their lyrical style and that of Treacy, and the fact that the lead singer of Arctic Monkeys is mysteriously not credited with their songwriting.[1]
King and Country
Television Personalities Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And polish all your military ornaments?
I bet you tell romantic stories about the war
You never explained what it's all for
It's hard for me to understand
The fascination of a gun for a man
Still you tell romantic stories about the war
Do you wake up screaming in the middle of the night
When your mind recalls the firing line?
Still you tell romantic stories about the war
You never explained what it's all for
King and Country
King and Country
The lyrics of the song "King and Country" by Television Personalities speak about the glorification of war and the fascination some people have with guns and military medals. The song questions the reason behind this obsession and asks the person addressed in the lyrics to explain what it's all for.
The first two lines of the song point towards the meticulous care bestowed upon the military ornaments by some people, even when it is not necessary. This attention to detail in keeping the memories of war alive is then followed by the question "what it's all for?" which is repeated three times in the song. The lyrics continue to describe the romantic stories told by some about the wars, which fails to explain the cause and purpose of the conflicts.
In the second half of the song, the lyrics express empathy towards the psychological trauma of the soldiers and their nightmares that recall the firing line. The song concludes with the repetition of the phrase "King and Country," which was a famous slogan used during the First World War to encourage people to fight for their country.
Overall, the song criticizes the glorification of war and the blind patriotism that supports it without questioning its causes and consequences. The lyrics attempt to deconstruct the romanticization and sentimentalism attached to the military, portraying it more as a tool of power and control rather than heroism.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you always clean your medals on a wet weekend?
Do you find pleasure in maintaining your military awards even if it's an inconveniencing time or day?
And polish all your military ornaments?
Do you take great care in cleaning and shining all of your military decorations?
I bet you tell romantic stories about the war
I presume that you share tales of war in a nostalgic or idealistic manner.
You never explained what it's all for
You never provided justification for the war and its consequences.
It's hard for me to understand
I'm finding it difficult to comprehend.
The fascination of a gun for a man
A man's interest in firearms is intriguing to me.
Still you tell romantic stories about the war
Yet you still narrate war stories in a wistful or idealized manner.
Do you wake up screaming in the middle of the night
Do you experience nightmares that wake you up during sleep?
When your mind recalls the firing line?
Does your memory provoke images of combat and gunfire?
King and Country
A phrase used to indicate allegiance or patriotism to the ruling monarch and their country.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lyndsey Franklin
still have this single..brilliant Lyrics such an underrated band.
jessie squire
I have known the song sooo long from a tape my friend did but only now I know who it's originators are fantastic!! Part of the sound track of my youth!!
Cockatoo Magnet
Part of the riff reminds me of The Byrds' 8 Miles High. Cool tune though. It's very catchy.
Jon Nelson
Of all my old vinyl records this is one of the ones I wish I still. I sold it to Epicenter Zone in San Francisco. I hope it found a good home.
R. ROOKSBY
Still brilliant. :)
OldMod67
Not a patch on the L.P. version though. That's a real classic tune!
nightliter
"Do you wake up screaming in the middle of night?"
Yes, sometimes, I do.
I'm cool
Me to.
sunriseRISE
LOVE THIS it was recorded in the winter of 1979
Teresa Vega
brilliant