The band drew upon a variety of stylistic influences over the course of their career, including 1960s beat music, soul, rhythm and blues and psychedelic rock, as well as 1970s punk and new wave. The trio was known for its melodic pop songs, its distinctly English flavour and its mod image. The band launched the career of Paul Weller, who went on to form The Style Council and later had a successful solo career. Weller wrote and sang most of The Jam’s original compositions, and he played lead guitar, using a Rickenbacker. Bruce Foxton provided backing vocals and prominent basslines, which were the foundation of many of the band’s songs, including the hits "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight", "The Eton Rifles", "Going Underground" and "Town Called Malice".
For artists called "Jam", please see http://www.last.fm/music/+noredirect/Jam.
Just Who Is the 5 O’Clock Hero?
The Jam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Covered in shit and aches and pains
Too knackered to think so give me time to come round
Just gimme the living room beat to the TV sound -
My hard earned dough goes in bills and the larder
And that Prince Philip tells us we gotta work harder!
It seems a constant struggle just to exist
Scrimping and saving and crossing of lists -
From this window I've seen the whole world pass
From dawn to dusk I've heard the last laugh laughed
I've seen enough tears to wash away this street
I've heard wedding bells chime and a funeral march
When as one life finishes another one starts -
Alright then love so I'll be off now
It's back to the lunchbox and worker/management rows
There's gotta be more to this old life then this
Scrimping and saving and crossing of lists -
The song Just Who Is the 5 O’Clock Hero? by The Jam paints a vivid picture of the daily struggles of an average working-class person. The opening lines, "Hello darlin' - I'm home again, Covered in shit and aches and pains, Too knackered to think so give me time to come round" set the tone for the rest of the song. The singer comes home exhausted from a long day's work and seeks solace in the living room ambiance and the television sound. The lyrics depict the constant struggle of trying to make ends meet with the meager income they earn. The references to bills and Prince Philip's exhortation to work harder resonate with the listener's plight, especially in the current times.
The songwriter then takes us through a window into the singer's world, where they witness the full spectrum of life from the joys of a wedding to the sorrow of a funeral. It highlights how life is cyclical and how sometimes it is challenging to find meaning in it. The lines "There's gotta be more to this old life than this Scrimping and saving and crossing of lists" are poignant and reflect the yearning for a better quality of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello darlin' - I'm home again
I have returned home
Covered in shit and aches and pains
I am covered in dirt, and I am in a lot of physical pain
Too knackered to think so give me time to come round
I am too tired to think, so please give me some time to recover
Just gimme the living room beat to the TV sound -
I just need some background noise to help me relax and unwind
My hard earned dough goes in bills and the larder
All of my money goes towards paying bills and stocking up on food
And that Prince Philip tells us we gotta work harder!
Prince Philip is saying that we need to work harder in order to survive
It seems a constant struggle just to exist
Life is a constant struggle just to survive
Scrimping and saving and crossing of lists -
I am constantly trying to save money and get everything on my to-do list done
From this window I've seen the whole world pass
From my window, I have seen everything that life has to offer
From dawn to dusk I've heard the last laugh laughed
I have heard the last laugh of the day before it turns into nighttime
I've seen enough tears to wash away this street
I have seen so many tears that it could wash away the entire street
I've heard wedding bells chime and a funeral march
I have heard both the sounds of love and the sounds of death
When as one life finishes another one starts -
As one life ends, another one begins
Alright then love so I'll be off now
Alright, I am leaving now
It's back to the lunchbox and worker/management rows
I have to go back to work and deal with management and work-related issues
There's gotta be more to this old life then this
There must be more to life than just working and struggling to survive
Scrimping and saving and crossing of lists -
I am constantly trying to save money and complete everything on my to-do list
Writer(s): PAUL JOHN WELLER
Contributed by Katherine H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Chris Morrison
Hello darlin', I'm home again
Covered in shit and aches and pains
Too knackered to think so give me time to come round
Just gimme the living room beat to the TV sound
My hard earned dough goes in bills and the larder
And that Prince Philip tells us we gotta work harder!
It seems a constant struggle just to exist
Scrimping and saving and crossing of lists
From this window I've seen the whole world pass
From dawn to dusk I've heard the last laugh laughed
I've seen enough tears to wash away this street
I've heard wedding bells chime and a funeral march
When as one life finishes another one starts
From this window I've seen the whole world pass
From dawn to dusk I've heard the last laugh laughed
I've seen enough tears to wash away this street
I've heard wedding bells chime and a funeral march
When as one life finishes another one starts
Alright then love so I'll be off now
It's back to the lunchbox and workermanagement rows
There's gotta be more to this old life then this
Scrimping and saving and crossing of lists
BoxMeister
This song is so hauntingly realistic, I think that's why I love this band so much, they don't beat around the bush :)
Icon Canada
Agreed it grabs at you
Janey17
Love this band...Weller is just brilliant!
Paul
"Just gimme the living room beat to the tv sound..." Just love Weller, Foxton and Buckler.
toad73
Paul just give me the living room beat to the tv sound
Paul
@toad73 Yes, much better than my version.
Jason D.
This album came out just before I began secondary school. The memories? Don't get me started. F'ckin' choon.
Ja Rat
Best, Song. Ever....
Chris Morrison
Hello darlin', I'm home again
Covered in shit and aches and pains
Too knackered to think so give me time to come round
Just gimme the living room beat to the TV sound
My hard earned dough goes in bills and the larder
And that Prince Philip tells us we gotta work harder!
It seems a constant struggle just to exist
Scrimping and saving and crossing of lists
From this window I've seen the whole world pass
From dawn to dusk I've heard the last laugh laughed
I've seen enough tears to wash away this street
I've heard wedding bells chime and a funeral march
When as one life finishes another one starts
From this window I've seen the whole world pass
From dawn to dusk I've heard the last laugh laughed
I've seen enough tears to wash away this street
I've heard wedding bells chime and a funeral march
When as one life finishes another one starts
Alright then love so I'll be off now
It's back to the lunchbox and workermanagement rows
There's gotta be more to this old life then this
Scrimping and saving and crossing of lists
Icon Canada
Makes me sad. I miss The Jam