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".
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Just Who Is the Five O'Clock Hero
The Jam Lyrics
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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
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 lunch box and worker-management rows
There's gotta be more to this old life then this
Scrimping and saving and crossing of lists
The Jam's Just Who Is the Five O'Clock Hero is a song about the struggles and monotony of working-class life. The singer returns home exhausted, covered in dirt and pain, and overwhelmed by the constant struggle just to exist. The lyrics touch on topics such as financial struggles, societal pressure to work harder, and the feeling of being stuck in a cycle of scrimping and saving. The singer watches the world pass by from their window and has experienced both joyous wedding bells and somber funeral marches. However, the inevitability of life finishing and another taking its place makes the singer feel like there could be more to life than this.
The overall message of the song is that the reality of working-class life is tough, and despite trying to save up for a better future, the struggle continues to exist. The song is a reflection of the band's own views on society and the working-class struggle in the UK. They have always been conscious of social issues, and the song is a reflection of that.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello, darlin', I'm home again
I've returned from work, tired and covered in dirt or grime.
Covered in shit and aches and pains
My body is hurting from the physical labor I put in at work.
Too knackered to think, so give me time to come round
I'm really exhausted and need some time to recover from the physical and mental strain of work.
Just gimme the living room beat to the TV sound
I just want to relax and watch some TV or listen to some music in my living room, and forget about work for a while.
My hard earned dough goes in bills and the larder
Most of my hard-earned money goes towards paying bills and buying groceries.
And that Prince Philip tells us we gotta work harder
The government and authorities keep telling us to work even harder, without offering much in return.
It seems a constant struggle just to exist
It feels like we have to work really hard just to survive and make ends meet.
Scrimping and saving and crossing off lists
We have to be really careful with our money and budget everything, making sure we don't forget anything important.
From this window I've seen the whole world pass
From my window, I've seen people of all kinds and in all situations go about their lives.
From dawn to dusk I've heard the last laugh laughed
During the whole day, I've seen people come and go, and I've heard their laughter and their cries.
I've seen enough tears to wash away this street
I've seen so much sadness and pain that it could wash away an entire street.
I've heard wedding bells chime and a funeral march
I've witnessed both happy moments, like weddings, and sad moments, like funerals.
When as one life finishes another one starts
When someone dies, life goes on, and new people are born.
Alright then, love, so I'll be off now
Okay, I have to go back to work now.
It's back to the lunch box and worker-management rows
It's time to return to the routine of working and dealing with management and coworkers.
There's gotta be more to this old life than this
There has to be more to life than just working and struggling to survive.
Scrimping and saving and crossing of lists
Once again, we have to be really careful with our money and budget everything, making sure we don't forget anything important.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAUL WELLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind