Original personnel were singer/guitarist Hugh Cornwell (from Kentish Town, London), keyboardist/guitarist Hans Wรคrmling (from Sweden, replaced within two years by Brighton-born keyboardist Dave Greenfield), London-born bass guitarist Jean-Jacques Burnel and drummer Jet Black (real name Brian Duffy), a native of Ilford, Essex.
They began as a sinister sounding, hard-edged pub rock group, but eventually branched out to explore other styles of music. The Stranglers were, beginning in 1976, tangentially associated with punk rock, due in part to their opening for The Ramones' first British tour. The Stranglers were also associated with new wave music as well as gothic rock, but their idiosyncratic approach never fit completely within a musical genre.
In August 1990, founding member Cornwell left the band to pursue a solo career. In his autobiography, Cornwell states that he felt the band was a spent force creatively, and cited various examples of his increasingly acrimonious relationship with his fellow band-members, particularly Burnel. The remaining members recruited two replacements, including John Ellis, who had opened for the band in the 1970s as a member of The Vibrators, and singer Paul Roberts.
Interest in The Stranglers resurfaced when, in 2001, singer Tori Amos covered their song "Strange Little Girl" and titled the album it was featured on Strange Little Girls. "Golden Brown" was also used in the hit film Snatch by film director Guy Ritchie and extensively in the Australian film He Died With A Felafel In His Hand. Their hit "No More Heroes" was covered by Violent Femmes and used for the film Mystery Men. "Peaches", finally, also appears prominently in another British movie, Sexy Beast by director Jonathan Glazer.
The Stranglers had a critical and popular renaissance in 2004 (together with their first top 40 hit for 14 years - "Big Thing Coming") with the acclaimed Norfolk Coast album and a subsequent sell-out tour. The follow-up album, Suite XVI, was released in September 2006 (the title is a pun on "Sweet 16" and also a reference to the fact that it is the band's 16th studio album).
During the recording of Suite XVI Paul Roberts left the band to pursue his solocareer. Guitarist Baz Warne, who replaced John Ellis in 2000, became the main vocalist.
A quite rare Hugh Cornwell audio interview may be listened to on http://www.jasonwrightonline.com/
Duchess
The Stranglers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hope she never will
Broken-down TV sits in the corner
Pictures standing still
Standing still
Duch of the terrace knows all her heritage
Says she's Henry's kid
Needs a man, god forbid
God forbid
And it sounds like an empty house
Standing still
And it's quieter than a mouse
Standing still
Duch of the terrace never grew up
I hope she never will
Says she's an heiress, sits in her terrace
Says she's got time to kill
Time to kill
And the Rodneys are queuing up
God forbid
And they all want to win the cup
God forbid
Duchess, duchess
Duchess, duchess
Duchess, duchess
And the Rodneys are queuing up
God forbid
And the Rodneys are queuing up
God forbid
And the Rodneys are queuing up
God forbid
The Stranglersโ song Duchess is an intriguing character sketch of a woman who never grew up. The opening line, โDuch of the terrace never grew up, I hope she never will,โ sets the tone for the character of Duchess, who is stuck in a perpetual state of immaturity. The line is followed by a description of a broken-down TV in the corner and pictures standing still, creating a vivid image of a stagnant, lifeless environment.
The next verse reveals that Duchess knows all her heritage, claiming to be Henryโs kid, and is keenly aware of her familyโs history. However, despite her knowledge, she appears to be in need of a man and is quite the heiress who sits on her terrace, claiming to have time to kill. The song then takes a more sinister turn as itโs revealed that the Rodneys are โqueuing upโ and โall want to win the cupโ. The repetition of the phrase โGod forbidโ adds to the sense of foreboding, leaving the listener wondering about what might happen next.
Overall, Duchess portrays the isolation of a woman who never grew up, in a stagnant environment, with a seemingly bleak future, and the shadowy characters lurking on the fringes. Although the song doesnโt give any concrete resolution, it leaves a lot to the listenerโs imagination.
Line by Line Meaning
Duch of the terrace never grew up
The woman called Duch of the terrace is behaving childishly and the singer hopes she remains that way.
I hope she never will
The singer's desire for Duch of the terrace is for her to remain in her current state.
Broken-down TV sits in the corner
A television in the current location of Duch of the terrace is damaged and no longer functional.
Pictures standing still
There are photographs in the same area as Duch of the terrace, and they are motionless.
Standing still
The surroundings are quiet and have no movement.
Duch of the terrace knows all her heritage
Duch of the terrace is familiar with her family background.
Says she's Henry's kid
Duch of the terrace claims that she is Henry's child.
Knows all her history in the family
Duch of the terrace has information regarding her family's past and present.
Needs a man, god forbid
Duch of the terrace desires a partner but the singer feels it's not necessary for her to have one.
And it sounds like an empty house
The location where Duch of the terrace sits is soundless and desolate.
Standing still
The environment is restrictive and the actions of Duch of the terrace are stagnant.
And it's quieter than a mouse
The situation is extremely silent.
Duch of the terrace never grew up
The singer again emphasizes that Duchess did not mature normally.
I hope she never will
The singer reiterates his wish for her to remain in her current state.
Says she's an heiress, sits in her terrace
Duchess refers to herself as an heiress and sits on her terrace.
Says she's got time to kill
Duchess has time to do whatever she pleases with no urgent matters to attend to.
Time to kill
Duchess is indulging in activities that have little significance.
And the Rodneys are queuing up
People named Rodney are waiting to see Duch of the terrace.
And they all want to win the cup
The Rodneys believe winning a contest, approval or affection from Duch of the terrace would make them happy.
Duchess, duchess
The singer's address to Duch of the terrace, calling her Duchess.
And the Rodneys are queuing up
The people awaiting Duch of the terrace is of concern to the singer.
God forbid
The singer hopes that Duch of the terrace doesn't entertain the Rodneys.
And the Rodneys are queuing up
The Rodneys' wait continues despite the singer's objections.
God forbid
The singer reiterates his desire for Duch of the terrace not to associate with the Rodneys.
And the Rodneys are queuing up
Again, the Rodneys are waiting for Duch of the terrace to give them attention.
God forbid
The singer is afraid of the consequences that the Rodneys meeting Duch of the terrace could entail.
Lyrics ยฉ Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: HUGH ALAN CORNWELL, DAVID GREENFIELD, BRIAN JOHN DUFFY, JEAN JACQUES BURNEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@donaldoswald8754
The Stranglers were, and still are, a class act. ๐ท๐ธ
@youiti2nz
OM BeatleใKrass..
@davidjohn5639
Still cuts it in 2024. I love the Stranglers!
@theyorkbiker.8214
40 years old and still one of my all time favourites.
@matssu12
It just that we all gettin" older...
@KMc-cw3qt
True genius is timeless.
@dannycostello1978
@@KMc-cw3qt I did shed a tear, but it's a bit of an emotional tune in a weird way. Brilliant.
@ronaldmartin7892
88 and still enjoy them ;-)๐
@theyorkbiker.8214
@James Hodson speak for yourself, I've a fantastic head of hair....inblack
@antoniascalise4574
Most underrated band in the history of mankind. Nobody like The Strangler's โค๏ธโค๏ธโค๏ธ