The Half Man Half Biscuit Lyrics Project

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179 pop songs picked over by pedants

Kiss Cream Carnival, Lime Sky Spooky Pills

4AD3DCD is an early example in the long series of HMHB songs mercilessly (for it can be no other way) lampooning indie or student bands. And it’s still one of the best. Thanks to Danny, Grev and gnick

See lyrics to 4AD3DCD

19 Letters Sent:
  1. 1

    Nathan Bigjobs (again)

    I always thought it was ‘Thank God Cardigan LEFT Crash Sunday School’

    …but I could be wrong.

  2. 2

    Moo

    I never got ‘campus egg slicer’ before I saw it written down. Lyrics just don’t come any better than that.

    I’m pretty sure it is “laugh crash sunday school”…

  3. 3

    Neil G

    Do you think ‘you’re the man, Ray’ is a reference to Man Ray, the famous photographer? If so, why? Could it be a tacit comment upon the pretentiosness of the 4AD type artist? I have to admit to owning a 4AD CD, The Drift by Scott Walker, which is utterly brilliant. My only regret is it’s not a 3D one.

  4. 4

    Gareth

    Man Ray is a reference to the artist (so Colin McKay told me)
    Gareth

  5. 5

    Bill Stow

    4AD3DCD – Second verse – after ‘formed a band’ there is an ‘and’

    I must get out more

    regards

    Bill

  6. 6

    Murray Meikle

    Isn’t the David Dundas reference to ‘rock kecks’ rather than ‘rock cakes’ given that he had a hit with ‘Jeans On’?

  7. It would be great, but from the Peel session version it’s clearly “cakes”.

  8. 8

    Bill Stow

    Lines 4 and 5 of verse 1. There is not an ‘And’ at the start of line 4 but there is one at the start of line 5.

    After the above in a desperate attempt to rescue what little self-esteem I have left I have a CD by a band from Ipswich called I think Elmerhassel entitled John Wark. Is there still some hope?

    Bill

  9. Ah yes – they did a splendid 1-minute thrash cover of the 1978 pop classic “Ipswich Ipswich (Get That Goal)”.

    By the way, you’re putting in a medal winning performance here Bill, don’t think it’s not been noticed.

  10. 10

    Charles Exford

    Roc eggs.

    FACT.

    Don’t know what it means in the context of the song, but, via the Arabian nights, Roc eggs appear in lots of fantasy books and games, I believe. And ‘bro’ may be significant – once again the prog-rock-and-fantasy-obsessed brother figure ?

  11. How much of a FACT is it?

  12. 12

    Charles Exford

    :-)

    Well OK maybe I was being a bit of a Rafa there, not that much of a fact, really, as it could also be “rock eggs”, which would be pronounced just the same… but Roc eggs are things we know about, albeit legendary, whilst ‘rock eggs’ aren’t.

    But phonetically it’s defo one or the other of those 2.

    “Cakes” would sound very different, with 2 phonemes ( /ei/ and /k/ as opposed to /e/ and /g/ ) difference from what he sings, and “kecks” would also be quite different with 1 phoneme different ( /k/ instead of /g/ ). The /k/ of words that end in /ks/ is very strong in a Merseyside accent, and this is definitely /gs/.

    cf “eggs, bread, cigs, milk”.

  13. 13

    Dave F.

    “…and had loads of good songs”

    I hear an ‘a’ before loads. Nigel appears to be indecisive between singular & plural.

  14. I knew you’d regret the FACT bit, Charles. Because after all that explanation, it turns out to have been “rock cakes” all along. Confirmed: Source

  15. 15

    s.g.d A Shropshire Lad

    Cakes it is; and the last line, according to the lyrics book…

    “It donut worry me none bro”

  16. “Donut”? That just sounds silly to me.

  17. 17

    dagenham dave

    I’d agree, can’t hear ‘donut’ at all.

  18. 18

    Geoff Cole

    I’ve always been convinced it’s ‘Love Frock Tuesday’? Not Froth?

  19. 19

    John Anderson

    I’ve always heard LAP Crash Sunday School.

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