The Half Man Half Biscuit Lyrics Project

Busking this at Embankment Tube tomorrow

160 pop songs picked over by pedants (in 2,784 comments!)

Oh, I turned my back on Nazareth

Floreat Inertia is pleasant enough, and the band still do it live, but I never quite got this one, I’m afraid. That said, “the low drone of the treadmill is the sound of my hopes being shattered” is a magnificent line. Thanks to Patrick and gnick

See lyrics to Floreat Inertia

4 Letters Sent:
  1. fnc

    I always thought he used to cudgel Gordon Giltrap, as in hit him with a stick, but I suppose cajole makes more sense.

  2. Gareth

    I think this is one of the classics. I asked Geoff for the bands permission to use a bunch of HMHB lines in a book I wrote – a disproportionate few were from this song and – oh ultimate accolade – he agreed and added ‘ good choices ‘. Sad perhaps, but it made me happy.

    Don’t know what you think of Mr Giltrap but, at least to me, cudgel has a ring of truth

  3. richard

    This took me a minute to get my head around it but this has to be one of my favorite biscuit tracks now.

    Also, the John Peel version was a delight. Peel says it’s probably the only song ever to mention Gordon Giltrap. He’s probably right, too.

  4. NIck Ink

    I like the morose melodies of this and Malayan Jelutong (they’re inseparable in my mind) but I still don’t really feel I understand the song. Is there more to ‘I turned my back on Nazareth’ than meets the ear? I was rather hopeful that Gordon Giltrap would turn out to have been in the band Nazareth, but sadly it appears not to be the case.

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