1 Apr 2008
I’ve had the CBGBs…
New York Skiffle is so called because (I’m really proud of this) it’s got references to New York. And Skiffle. And the Velvets, and Warhol, and Burroughs. In case you care.
See lyrics to New York Skiffle
The Half Man Half Biscuit Lyrics Project
Busking this at Embankment Tube tomorrow
179 pop songs picked over by pedants
Here comes The Black Horse...
- Your PBRs
Because life is a Perpetual Biscuit Reference - HMHB Lyrics in the Media
Acknowledge those brave souls who slip one in - Gig Reviews and Discussions
Including Pre-Gig Banter and the Giant Set List Chart - The Lux Familiar Cup 2011
The Nation chooses its favourite HMHB song - No Longer In Need Of Season Tickets
The "curse of HMHB" victims and how long they outlived a mention - See what we've got in the pipeline
We get to work on some songs not yet released - Lists of stuff in HMHB songs
...from musicians to footballers to dates... - Shit Band, No Fans
The football chants sneaked into the songs - Kill, kill, kill, stab murder and dispatch
"but most people still just seem to quote the jokes" - Thirty seconds into the first song...
Discuss the best opening lines in the songbook - This sounds like a class rant
The politics of Half Man Half Biscuit - 25th Anniversary Chat
Celebrity readers queued up to pay tribute - Cover Versions
Discussing the Trad. Arr. Tunes heard live - Bicciepedia
The real stories behind the songs. Possibly. - It might sound bogus – but it’s official
Exxo gets an audience with NB57
...There goes the Brown Cow
- Gez's Half Man Half Biscuit website
- "The Continuing Brilliance of Half Man Half Biscuit" - excellent article by Taylor Parkes
- Half Man Half Biscuit gigs coming up
- Live Performance downloads
- Complete Peel Sessions download
- Peel Session listings
- Stuart Vallantine's Half Map Half Biscuit
- Word Clouds for every album
- Half Man Half Biscuit Halfhearted
- "HMHB Towns" photos on Flickr
- Half-Decent Articles about HMHB
- Half Man Half Biscuit Lyric Machine on Twitter
- Half Man Half Biscuit at eMusic
- Half Man Half Biscuit on Spotify
Recent Comments
Lyrics by Album
- 90 Bisodol (Crimond)
- ACD
- Achtung Bono
- Back Again in the DHSS
- Back In The DHSS
- Cammell Laird Social Club
- CSI: Ambleside
- Editor’s Recommendation EP
- Eno Collaboration EP
- Four Lads Who Shook The Wirral
- Look Dad No Tunes EP
- McIntyre, Treadmore and Davitt
- Peel Sessions and other one-offs
- Saucy Haulage Ballads
- Some Call It Godcore
- This Leaden Pall
- Trouble Over Bridgwater
- Voyage To The Bottom Of The Road
Note: the first three Half Man Half Biscuit albums have some crossover of tracks - see here for details
Search this site
Facebook Mum, YouTube Dad
Buy CDs Direct!
Design: Grid Focus by Derek Punsalan, 5thirtyone.com
13 Letters Sent:
Paul F
Waiting for my van?
May 21st, 2008
Oisin
I think it is “and maybe Andy knows” not “and maybe and who knows”. I take it as a call back to the earlier Warhol reference.
Jun 15th, 2008
chris
Sounds quite likely. Anyone else agree?
Jun 15th, 2008
carl
i’ve “TURKEYED” way up state
Jul 20th, 2008
carl
a “maybe” and “who knows”
Jul 20th, 2008
Chris
@Carl: Any justification for “turkeyed”? Not saying it isn’t, but it’s not something which readily makes sense to me!
Jul 20th, 2008
carl
@Chris, no justification for “turkeyed”. It just sounds remarkably like it. I thought it just may be US slang.
Jul 21st, 2008
Ben
Chris, presumably as in cold-turkey, to come off heroin.
Jul 21st, 2008
778
This isn’t on hmhb.co.uk, so I’ll call it…
The chorus lyrics parody Lonnie Donegan and His Skiffle Group’s 1958 single “Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It’s Flavour On The Bedpost Overnight” which goes;
Does your chewing gum lose its flavour
On the bedpost overnight
If your mother says don’t chew it
Do you swallow it in spite
Can you catch it on your tonsils
Can you heave it left and right
Does your chewing gum lose its flavour
On the bedpost overnight
Jan 1st, 2009
lurker called forth
DEFINITELY… It is “turkeyed” way upstate – “Turkeyed” is common UK (maybe US) drug parlance, meaning withdrawn off heroin (gone cold turkey).
I also always thought it was “I’m just waiting for my van”, but I see ban makes sense (either way it’s obviously a nod at VUs song “Waiting for my man”)
May 16th, 2010
Chris The Siteowner
Any lurker who gets called forth to comment after such a long time gets my vote.
May 16th, 2010
Dave
Hmmm ‘quack nostrums’ is an oxymoron, as nostrums are “: a medicine of secret composition recommended by its preparer but usually without scientific proof of its effectiveness “. Pedantic, sorry. But as Nigel wrote it does seem better in terms of poetry.
Feb 15th, 2011
Vendor of Quack Nostrums
Nineteenth century American Snakeoil salesmen and their ilk promised elixirs to cure all ills. Indeed they promised nostrums which were unproven in terms of effectiveness and whose ingredients were closely guarded secrets. These were quack remedies insofar as they made fraudulent claims or were of a palliative nature whilst claiming to be curative. That unscrupulous individuals should seek to exploit the vulnerable for commercial gain will probably not come as a shock to the more world weary and cynical amongst us and we should rightly be suspicious of those who claim to provide nostrums, quack remedies or indeed quack nostrums for the betterment of individuals or societies. New York Skiffle merely draws attention to this. You have been warned! Taking note of a Vendor of Quack Nostrums will invariably lead to trouble.
Feb 15th, 2011
Add Your Bit: