The combo was formed when music producer Ricardo Autobahn (Cuban Boys, Daz Sampson, Heaven 17, the Crimea) met vocalist Diva Schematic. A mutual love of Carcass and Katie Melua led to a studio collaboration and the song, Charlie Brooker is Right About Everything - celebrating the grumpy journalist.
Manchester
The Attery Squash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Turns the day into night.
The bars are filling with fighting Irish
Smug young married couples dressing down for the weekend.
Pert shop girls and typists tip-tapping
Into blaring dance halls.
Hard-faced villains dressing up for the drinking clubs,
Bouncers in tuxedos with butterflies round their necks,
“Love” tattooed on the right hand and “Hate” on the left.
Stone Roses just like angels, Heaven is this noise,
Fancied by the shop-girls admired by the sweatshop boys.
So we’re sitting in the snug bar waiting for Jase the Ace
Hooky’s by the jukebox doing his splendid to entertain
Look at Tony Wilson live on Channel 4
Vote for Rodney Marsh ’cos Best’s on sale again.
I hear a song by Steven Patrick,
A crocodile tear paints the dead,
Everybody starts shouting “HANG THE DJ”
So he puts on State 808 instead.
I see a face at the Hacienda,
I see a heart that’s torn in two.
I see a head that flies the Happy Mondays
And a lonely girl called you. (x2)
Manchester! Manchester, England!
Manchester, I’ll always love you! (repeat)
The lyrics of The Attery Squash's song "Manchester" offer an insightful portrait of the city's nightlife and culture during the late 1980s, when Manchester was praised as the epicenter of the alternative rock and dance music scenes. The first verse describes the city's skyline, which is dominated by grim and imposing buildings that seem to merge with the gray and rainy sky to create a somber and nocturnal atmosphere. The bars are filled with people, including "fighting Irish" and "smug young married couples," who are escaping their mundane lives by indulging in alcohol, dancing, and socializing. Meanwhile, the pert shop girls and typists are going to the dance halls and clubs, where they can let their hair down and forget about their tedious jobs. The hard-faced villains, on the other hand, are dressing up to impress the other drinkers and prove their worth in the hierarchy of the local scene. The scene is completed by Suburbia, the symbol of the conformist and homogenous middle class who is watching TV instead of experiencing the thrill of the city's nightlife.
The second verse celebrates the icons of Manchester's alternative culture, such as the Stone Roses and Happy Mondays, who are praised for their musical talent, fashion sense, and rebellious spirit. The bouncers who guard the entrance of the clubs are also an integral part of the scene, wearing fancy tuxedos with butterfly ties and tattoos of "Love" and "Hate" on their hands. The lyrics also mention Steven Patrick, better known as Morrissey, the lead singer of The Smiths, whose melancholic and witty lyrics had a profound impact on the local youth. The line "I hear a song by Steven Patrick, A crocodile tear paints the dead" refers to Morrissey's trademark melancholic voice and his habit of shedding crocodile tears on stage. However, the most unforgettable part of the song is the chorus, where the singer declares his love for Manchester and its people, creating an emotional and nostalgic climax for the whole song.
Overall, The Attery Squash's "Manchester" is a poetic and vivid portrayal of the city's nightlife and alternative culture, capturing its energy, diversity, and contradictions.
Line by Line Meaning
Buildings of gray on a liquid sky
The gloomy skyscrapers painted against the clear blue sky form an unnatural, depressing contrast.
Turns the day into night.
The tall buildings make it so dark, it feels like nighttime even in broad daylight.
The bars are filling with fighting Irish
The pubs are getting crowded with boisterous, rough Irish people.
Smug young married couples dressing down for the weekend.
The smug couples, proud of themselves for having made it to the weekend, dress more casually to celebrate.
Pert shop girls and typists tip-tapping
The young girls working in shops and offices are happily clicking their heels and dancing around.
Into blaring dance halls.
They're heading into loud, raucous dance clubs.
Hard-faced villains dressing up for the drinking clubs,
The rough, tough gangsters are putting on their best clothes to go to the bars.
While Suburbia sits watching television.
Meanwhile, the people living in the suburbs are content to stay home and watch TV.
Bouncers in tuxedos with butterflies round their necks,
The club bouncers are dressed all fancy, wearing bowties with butterfly-shaped knots.
“Love” tattooed on the right hand and “Hate” on the left.
Some people have tattoos reading 'Love' on one hand, and 'Hate' on the other.
Stone Roses just like angels, Heaven is this noise,
The music from a band called Stone Roses is so beautiful, it sounds like heaven and feels like the best noise that ever existed.
Fancied by the shop-girls admired by the sweatshop boys.
The girls working in shops are really into the band, as are the boys who work in factories.
So we’re sitting in the snug bar waiting for Jase the Ace
We're hanging out in a cozy bar, waiting for a friend called Jase.
Hooky’s by the jukebox doing his splendid to entertain
One of our friends named Hooky is at the jukebox, doing his best to make the night more fun.
Look at Tony Wilson live on Channel 4
We're watching Tony Wilson, a famous journalist, on TV channel 4.
Vote for Rodney Marsh ’cos Best’s on sale again.
There's a sale on beer so we're cheering for someone named Rodney Marsh to win.
I hear a song by Steven Patrick,
We're listening to a song by a singer named Steven Patrick (a reference to Morrissey).
A crocodile tear paints the dead,
The sad song is so effective that even fake tears are shed by people who are alive.
Everybody starts shouting “HANG THE DJ”
The DJ is not playing music they want to hear so the crowd starts chanting 'hang the DJ'.
So he puts on State 808 instead.
The DJ switches to another song by the band State 808 to appease the crowd.
I see a face at the Hacienda,
I see someone I recognize at the Hacienda (a famous club in Manchester).
I see a heart that’s torn in two.
I see a person who's heartbroken and sad.
I see a head that flies the Happy Mondays
I see someone who loves the band Happy Mondays, which has a very distinct sound.
And a lonely girl called you. (x2)
I see you, a girl who seems unhappy and alone.
Manchester! Manchester, England!
This song is an ode to Manchester, England!
Manchester, I’ll always love you!
The singer professes their love for Manchester, and promises to always hold it dear.
Contributed by Jordyn B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.