The Half Man Half Biscuit Lyrics Project

Busking this at Embankment Tube tomorrow

179 pop songs picked over by pedants

I’ll walk in hell for a walk-in bath

Blue Badge Abuser strikes a blow for the 16 remaining people in this country who haven’t worked out how to join in the fun and play the system. Although as you might guess, Nigel doesn’t seem nearly as irritated by this as he does by people who, say, buy their soup in cartons, not in tins, or call their children Archie or something.

See lyrics to Blue Badge Abuser

10 Letters Sent:
  1. 1

    Brash

    Sympathy vote?

    Possibly a bounder rather than rounder too.

    Cheers

    Keep up the good work

  2. Ooops, “note” was a typo, thanks. “Dirty rounder” sounds right and does exist as a phrase, so that’s why I went for it.

  3. 3

    Martin Taylor

    Hi,

    I think it’s “A walk in hell for a walk-in bath”

    Cheers,

    Martin

  4. 5

    Charles Exford

    Always tricky choosing which of two possibilities to write when they are homophones (and probably puns), but I’m just interested why you chose a walk-in bath, rather than a walk in Bath ? Personally I think the primary meaning here is of someone parking up for a nice afternoon walk in Bath (a place I intend to visit for the first time to watch the band in August).

    In Trumpton Riots I think the ‘Cant’ pun works better without the capital letter, in this one I think it works better with.

    Incidentally, I spotted this reader’s letter in the Guardian “Fiver” (an only slightly chucklesome daily footy e-mail service) on Monday: “The repeated reference to 1,056 pedants in the Fiver has got me thinking. As this is an unusual experience after reading the tea-timely email I decided it warranted proper attention. Given that pedantry is an excessive or unnecessary concern with the minor or trivial, exactly how many pedants does it take be concerned with something before the matter in question stops being pedantry and can be considered an accepted norm, ie considered appropriate and/or necessary? Are there examples of pedantry which has become normalised over time, in medicine maybe, and I’m just guessing here, were the first chemists considered pedants before it became apparent that attention to detail was a crucial part of their job practices?”

  5. I disagree. Why would a Blue Badge Abuser (someone playing the system) want a walk in Bath? Does the government give those away free? It certainly gives walk-in baths away.

  6. 7

    Charles Exford

    Thought it was about someone using parking spaces they shouldn’t ? It does seem especially difficult to park in the old touristy towns (as you probably know) and a Blue badge must come in handy ?

    “A walk in hell for a walk in Bath” has a lovely balance as an example of the wrath of the Lord (who traditionally has a capital H on His too, but I prefer your irreverence).

  7. 8

    John Anderson

    “Hide my stick, Margaret.”

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12435529

  8. 9

    Vendor of Quack Nostrums

    I’ve always fancied that this was about John Terry.

    http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article935542.ece

    But if so it must have been a pretty late addition to the album.

    Regardless, I will go on enjoying the thought of a well crafted pun. Blue badge abuser indeed. Three Lions abuser too IMO.

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