The Boo Radleys are a British guitar band of the 1990's who made experiment… Read Full Bio ↴The Boo Radleys are a British guitar band of the 1990's who made experimental indie music, and were briefly associated with the Britpop movement. They took their name from the reclusive character of Boo Radley from Harper Lee's classic novel To Kill A Mockingbird.

They were formed in Wallasey, England in 1988, with singer/guitarist Sice aka Simon Rowebottom, guitarist/songwriter Martin Carr, bassist Timothy Brown and original drummer Steve Hewitt. Hewitt was replaced by Rob Cieka following their first release, the extremely rare Ichabod and I.

In 1992, the band released Everything's Alright Forever but it was 1993's Giant Steps that finally brought the band to a mass audience, in the UK at least. They were on the illustrious Creation Records label with other British greats like the Jesus and Mary Chain, Primal Scream, and My Bloody Valentine.

The Boos never were quite able to break in the US, even with the poppier 1995 Wake Up!. The album brought critical acclaim to the band, but was not promoted by their US domestic label, Columbia, and the band was subsequently dropped. During this time, Sice put out a solo album, First Fruits under the name Eggman. 1996 also saw the Boo Radleys bring about another change, the heavier C'mon Kids. The band split in 1999, just months after the release of Kingsize.

Martin Carr went on to form Brave Captain, putting out several albums. Despite a pledge to never play again, Sice formed a new band, Paperlung, in 2005.

More info can be found on their website: http://www.booradleys.co.uk/

Upon 9th And Fairchild
The Boo Radleys Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I don't need you preachin'
Tellin' me points of law
I got my own problems
Trying to stay off the floor

As the vultures circle
And the bills and demands
Fill the floor

It's been 3 weeks and 3 days
Since I last stepped out my door

This is my life too
This is mine

Jesus, this room's so cold

But you've got your own problems
I can't see an end to it all

Overall Meaning

The Boo Radleys' Upon 9th and Fairchild is a melancholic song that expresses dissatisfaction with life and the rollercoaster of struggles that go with it. The first few lines, "I don't need you preachin'/ Tellin' me points of law/ I got my own problems/ Trying to stay off the floor" suggest that the singer is tired of being told what to do by authority figures and is instead fully focused on navigating the challenges of his or her own life. The image of standing on the metaphorical floor is a powerful one- it suggests that life can leave us feeling like we're about to fall, and the singer is just trying to maintain their balance.

The next lines, "As the vultures circle/And the bills and demands/Fill the floor/It's been 3 weeks and 3 days/Since I last stepped out my door" paint a picture of isolation and desperation. The singer is surrounded by people who only seem to want to take advantage of them, whether those people are threatening them with bills and debts or literal vultures who seem to be waiting for them to collapse. The final lines, "This is my life too/This is mine/ Jesus, this room's so cold/But you've got your own problems/ I can't see an end to it all" suggest a sense of resignation. The singer is acknowledging that everyone has struggles, but they can't help feeling trapped and hopeless.

Line by Line Meaning

I don't need you preachin'
I don't require you to lecture or sermonize.

Tellin' me points of law
Explaining the tenets of legal statutes is unnecessary.

I got my own problems
I am dealing with my own troubles and difficulties.

Trying to stay off the floor
Striving to avoid hitting rock bottom.

As the vultures circle
As predatory scavengers loom threateningly.

And the bills and demands
The financial obligations and requisites weigh heavily.

Fill the floor
They inundate the space completely and inexorably.

It's been 3 weeks and 3 days
I haven't left my abode for 24 days.

Since I last stepped out my door
I was last outdoors a little over three weeks ago.

This is my life too
This existence is also my own to bear.

This is mine
This is exclusively and irrevocably mine to deal with.