2 Jun 2008
Ask me to Prestatyn and that’s what I’ll do
With Goth On Our Side is a beautifully realised Bob Dylan spoof with no end of great references to Goths. Sure, the original is a classic, but this is much funnier. Thanks to gnick and Patrick
See lyrics to With Goth On Our Side
25 Letters Sent:
Alex
Might be wrong but I always thought it was “and the scousers in shellsuits had goths on their site” rather than ‘side’. Makes more sense to me that way anyhow. Good website by the way.
Oct 9th, 2008
Bill Stow
Verse 5 line 6 – The first word is ‘could’ not ‘can’
Mar 6th, 2009
Paul F
I’ve never been convinced by “when I was in halls”. What halls?
Could it be “Rhos” (as in Rhos-on-Sea near Colwyn Bay, which is pronounced something like “Horse”)?
Sep 18th, 2009
gary
Student Halls of Residence
Sep 18th, 2009
Paul F
Still not convinced. Surely any self-(dis)respecting snakebite drinker would have had their first-such beverage long before University?
Sep 18th, 2009
Martin
Always understood it to be Halls as in Halls of Residence and never considered that it would be anything else.
Sep 22nd, 2009
DP
Isn’t it “Dylan can sue”?
Feb 9th, 2010
DP
“Dylan can sue” makes more sense as a joke. I reckon that’s it.
Feb 9th, 2010
Neil G
I hadn’t read this one because it seems such an easy one to follow. Of course it’s ‘Dylan can sue’. It’s a challenge – if Dylan doesn’t like us taking the piss out of With God On Our Side, let him sue. It’s obvious, isn’t it?
Feb 10th, 2010
Chris The Siteowner
Well in that case he’s singing “…and Dylan car’n sue” to these ears. The suggestion is that when you’re in heaven, you can’t be sued. IMHO of course.
Feb 10th, 2010
Charles Exford
Well spotted chaps. Important to keep the incisors of pedantry sharp till there’s some new material to get them stuck into.
Yes, it’s “can”. And it’s not “with bottles”, it’s “the bottles”, pronouncing “thee” in imitation of Dylan, as he does with “thee redcoats”,
“thee village”, etc.
I have an open mind about “Rhos”. In fact here I am, after a decade thinking it was “halls”, now verging towards “Rhos”. To my mind this character probably hasn’t been to away uni anyway, hence his unrequited longing for the Goth Centrals of W.Yorks. If he had I don’t reckon he would have come back to Wales, even to be a big fish in a small pond.
I’ve never quite been able to get a definite mental picture of the battle of Butlins. Can anybody help me ? The redcoats want him off, so they the redcoats bottle him, or the Scousers bottle the redcoats (more likely I suppose) and the Goths join in. OK yeah, that’s probably it. You see, I’ve worked it out, the therapy’s worked again. Thanks for listening.
Exxo.
Feb 10th, 2010
Chris The Siteowner
Never let it be said this site isn’t democratic then. Although now people will probably start weighing in with plausible defences of “can’t”.
Feb 10th, 2010
John Anderson
Happy to oblige Chris. I must say I’ve always heard it as “Dylan can’t sue”. I take the inference to be that Uncle Bob might be tempted to take legal action against HMHB’s for the plagiarisation of “With God On Our Side” but with everyone dying together that would obviously no longer be possible.
Feb 10th, 2010
dagenham dave
I’d agree that it’s ‘Dylan can’t sue’.
A very minor point, the second line of the last verse has ‘It’ at the start.
Feb 10th, 2010
Robert Ramsay
my favourite is the rhyme of “Wilf” with “Cradle of Filth”.
Feb 12th, 2010
Norbert D
I reckon it’s “Dylan can’t sue”. A double meaning – he can’t sue because “we all die together”, and he can’t sue in real life because the tune of “With God On Our Side” isn’t his. It’s a traditional folk tune called “The Merry Month Of May”, adapted by Dominic Behan for his song “The Patriot Game” and then by Dylan.
Virtually none of Dylan’s very early songs have original tunes, they’re all nicked, but they’re nicked from people who died years before and never copyrighted anything, so he can get away with claiming the composer credit. But if he tried to sue someone for re-using those tunes it wouldn’t stand up in court, so if you’re writing a song tomorrow, help yourself.
Mar 4th, 2010
Charles Exford
Well that adds up to quite a weighty counterblast from three much-respected contributors (and Norbert’s is surely an early candidate for a 2010 Silver Biscuit Award).
So I’m wavering now,.. I don’t know if it’s “halls” or “Rhos” ‘cos I’m not from round there, and I couldn’t even tell if he’s singing “can” or “can’t”, even though I am from round there… but
However Mrs.Exford has now defected to the “can’t” camp and I think I’m heading that way meself. What with the /a:/ and the /t/ and stuff.
Mar 5th, 2010
Paul F
Very gratifying that after nearly 6 months, my Rhos theory is finally gaining traction.
Mar 5th, 2010
Neil G
I don’t understand this. It is clearly ‘halls’, i.e. halls of residence. It rhymes with ‘walls’ as well, which is a strong indicator.
Mar 5th, 2010
Charles Exford
Ah but maybe that’s what we’re meant to think, Neil.
Anyway we should know soon enough.
Mar 5th, 2010
Charles Exford
Confirmed as “halls”, i.e. halls of residence, and “can’t”, with Norbert spot-on in his doubly-correct reasoning (above). Source
Mar 13th, 2010
Paul F
Gah – wrong on both counts.
Mar 16th, 2010
Charles Exford
This morning I found myself feverishly engaged in some non-Biscuit-related pedantry regarding the foolishness of those who believe it has to be “an historic…”. This took me, by way of back-up, to the Guardian newspaper’s style guide, which before I knew it I had devoured in its entirety from A-Z.
I particularly like the way they put this one:
• Goths (upper case) Germanic tribe that invaded the Roman empire
• goths (lower case) Sisters of Mercy fans who invaded the Shepherd’s Bush Empire
http://www.guardian.co.uk/styleguide/g
I’m actually quite surprised we haven’t visited this debate before on The Project, but yes, if you think about it, you wouldn’t capitalise “punks” or “indie kids”, so why “goths” ? On the other hand, “Welsh Goth” is definitely a movement and a genre.
May 16th, 2010
Chris The Siteowner
Fair point, and duly amended. But on the same basis I’ve had to amend “scousers” too.
May 16th, 2010
Red Ricardo
At the Pendle witch trials (inspiration for the title of The Fall’s debut album, iirc), apparently among the many charges levelled at those unfortunate women was one of “communing with imps”. It’s such a distinctive phrase, and one which I can’t find any other reference to – searching just brings up here and other references to the song.
Mar 29th, 2011
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