A Day In The Life
Todd Terry Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I read the news today oh boy
About a lucky man who made the grade
And though the news was rather sad
Well I just had to laugh
I saw the photograph.
He blew his mind out in a car
He didn't notice that the lights had changed
A crowd of people stood and stared
They'd seen his face before
Nobody was really sure
If he was from the House of Lords.

I saw a film today oh boy
The English Army had just won the war
A crowd of people turned away
But I just had to look
Having read the book.
I'd love to turn you on

Woke up, fell out of bed,
Dragged a comb across my head
Found my way downstairs and drank a cup,
And looking up I noticed I was late.
Found my coat and grabbed my hat
Made the bus in seconds flat
Found my way upstairs and had a smoke,
Somebody spoke and I went into a dream

I read the news today oh boy
Four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire
And though the holes were rather small
They had to count them all




Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall.
I'd love to turn you on

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Todd Terry's song “A Day in the Life” evoke a tale of everyday life punctuated by moments of surrealism and a deep apprehension of current events. The opening line of the song, “I read the news today oh boy,” captures the general tone of the song. The first stanza talks about a “lucky man” who “made the grade,” but who also died in a car accident. The refrain “I saw the photograph” talks about photography as a means of freezing time and capturing moments that are otherwise unrepeatable.


The second stanza talks about a film in which an army wins a war, while the crowd turns away. The third stanza changes the focus to the singer's personal life, where he wakes up in the morning, goes about his routine while being late, and ends up daydreaming. The final stanza talks about a news story wherein a town has “four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire,” and which ends with the refrain “I'd love to turn you on.”


Overall, Todd Terry's “A Day in the Life” tells a story that is both philosophical and personal. The song manages to oscillate between moments of euphoria and despair, and it is this tonal complexity that makes it a true classic.


Line by Line Meaning

I read the news today oh boy
I perused the newspaper today, my dear fellow


About a lucky man who made the grade
The newspapers expressed the fortunes of a man of honor


And though the news was rather sad
The tidings, however, conveyed quite a melancholy state of affairs


Well I just had to laugh
But regardless, I couldn't help but find the news amusing


I saw the photograph.
I laid eyes on the picture that I came across


He blew his mind out in a car
The man's demise was as a result of him losing his sanity while driving


He didn't notice that the lights had changed
He failed to recognize the change in the traffic signal


A crowd of people stood and stared
A throng of onlookers gawked in disbelief


They'd seen his face before
They had prior knowledge of the man's countenance


Nobody was really sure
They weren't sure whatsoever


If he was from the House of Lords.
Whether he was a member of the House of Lords or not was a subject of debate


I saw a film today oh boy
I had the pleasure of seeing a motion picture today, dear chap


The English Army had just won the war
I gathered from the film that the English army had just emerged victorious from war


A crowd of people turned away
A group of persons retreated in the opposite direction


But I just had to look
I, however, couldn't resist the urge to take a glance


Having read the book.
After having read the book on the subject matter


I'd love to turn you on
I would be immensely thrilled to captivate you


Woke up, fell out of bed,
I rose from my slumber and clumsily fell off the bed


Dragged a comb across my head
I ran the comb through my hair in a lackadaisical manner


Found my way downstairs and drank a cup,
I made it down the stairs unsullied and had a cup of tea


And looking up I noticed I was late.
I looked up and took notice of the fact that I was behind schedule


Found my coat and grabbed my hat
I located my overcoat and grabbed my hat


Made the bus in seconds flat
I miraculously caught the bus with ease


Found my way upstairs and had a smoke,
I got to the upper floor and indulged in a smoke


Somebody spoke and I went into a dream
Someone spoke and I went into a deep daydream


Four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire
Blackburn, Lancashire had four thousand gaps in the pavement


And though the holes were rather small
Though the perforations were quite minute


They had to count them all
They had to tabulate all of them


Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall.
Consequently, they were able to ascertain the number of gashes required to fill the Albert Hall


I'd love to turn you on
I'd love to intrigue you beyond belief




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BOBBY TERRY, MARTIN BRAMMER, PAUL BELL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions