6 Sep 2008
Squid yes, not so octopus
Them’s The Vagaries is (of course) another bunch of amusing observations; I don’t know why I find the “squid” line so funny. Regarding the “aviaries” stuff at the end, Nigel said: “Yeah, that’s where we do get silly. Sometimes I don’t care. But you can’t be stern-faced all your life.” Thanks to EskimoEric, Paul and Max
See lyrics to Them’s The Vagaries
38 Letters Sent:
Hoagy
Is it not “You’ll never get asked back again”?
Sep 6th, 2008
Chris The Siteowner
Now I listen to the song again, it could well be. So let’s have a quick straw poll:
“You’ll never get us back again”? or
“You’ll never get asked back again”?
Sep 6th, 2008
Brian
Yeah, having re-listened it definitely sounds like “asked”.
Sep 6th, 2008
m i k e
I’d vote “asked”.
Also, I’m convinced someone points to the “finches” in the yard, not cages. It doesn’t make as much sense to call a finch an aviary, but listen to the Peel session version of this song and it’s unmistakable.
Sep 6th, 2008
Martin
Definitely “You’ll never get asked back again” in my book.
Sep 7th, 2008
simon smith
Always heard it as `asked`. Good to see you back, Mr Rand.
Sep 7th, 2008
Chris The Siteowner
OK, “asked” it is.
@m i k e: Interesting! I’ll have a listen.
Sep 7th, 2008
Max Williams
Brit-pop! Thank god, that line’s been bugging me since i first heard it. My mind is a marginally less troubled place now.
Sep 7th, 2008
Neil G
Excellent. I could never work out that bit at the end where they’re singing different things at the same time. I managed ‘Aldershot’ after about two years but the rest was indistinguishable to me. Thanks to those with better ears.
Sep 7th, 2008
Ben
I think it might be “Flip-Flop” but that’s impossible to distinguish between “Brit-Pop”
Also is it not “Auguries” in the last refrain?
And apologies to anyone stood next to me at a gig who’s heard me shouting “You paint a picture of my yard….and then” etc
That “Aldershot” bit doesn’t ring true either to my ears but have no alternative suggestion.
Sep 7th, 2008
grim
Not having listened to this in a while, but my memory’s definitely telling me it’s the “features” in the yard. Feel free to ignore it.
Sep 7th, 2008
dj
the peel session version changes the “five day tests” line for “cliff carlyle”, cliff being the semi famous yodeler come singer who probably appeared on the val doonican show quite a lot
Sep 7th, 2008
Mic
Is it not “Kids in earshot”. I know that upsets me.
Sep 8th, 2008
Fredorrarci
I’m convinced it’s “flip-flop” – definitely some l’s in there.
I can’t hear “cages” – another vote for “features”. (“Finches”, perhaps? Perhaps not.)
Sep 11th, 2008
Mark
Isn’t it “fixtures in my yard” and “fan of cobain”
Sep 12th, 2008
Bob Arctor
I hear “Kids in Argos shops” ??
Sep 12th, 2008
RobJ
I’m sure it’s not cages. I would also go for features.
And it’s definitely “kids in Aldershot”
Sep 15th, 2008
Mick
I’d go with Auguries in the last bit…here’s Wikipedia:
The Augur was a priest and official in the classical world, especially ancient Rome and Etruria. His main role was to interpret the will of the gods by studying the flight of the birds (flying in groups/alone, what noises they make as they fly, direction of flight and what kind of birds they are), known as “taking the auspices.”
Oct 21st, 2008
Chris The Siteowner
@Mike: Finally I revisited the Peel session version, and I know that of course HMHB bend the lyrics in live versions, but it’s definitely “finches” there, so as the recorded version is debatable, we’ll go with that.
@Mick/@Ben: Sorry, I’ve listened to both versions again and again, and I can’t hear the “auguries” bit. Maybe I’m missing something!
Oct 21st, 2008
Dave F.
I’m hearing Flip-Flop.
& Auguries, I’m afraid Chris.
Also finches/the band/Aldershot.
Although kids in Argos shops do p*ss me off – gangs fifteen years old girls looking for engagement rings in Elizabeth Duke. (Some of them with surprisingly large bellies!)
Oct 24th, 2008
Fredorrarci
From an interview with none other than Mr. Blackwell himself:
You do sing “Them’s the aviaries” at the end, don’t you? I hope you do!
“Yeah, that’s where we do get silly. Sometimes I don’t care. But you can’t be stern-faced all your life.”
From the HMHB site
Oct 25th, 2008
Chris The Siteowner
Indeed – as I quoted right at the top of the page!
Oct 26th, 2008
Fredorrarci
Oh. Didn’t see that…
Oct 26th, 2008
jaeneas
I found this download game, ‘Squid Yes, Not So Octopus 2′.
It took me a couple of minutes to remember how I knew the quote from.
The author checks HMHB and tea as influences.
May 30th, 2009
Chris The Siteowner
You’re right: here’s SYNSO (Squid Yes, Not So Octopus), describing it as “The only game based on one line from a Half Man Half Biscuit song”, and here’s SYNSO: Squid Harder. And here’s the author. The game’s ReadMe file credits “Nigel from Half Man Half Biscuit who wrote Them’s The Vagaries from which the title is derived”.
May 30th, 2009
dagenham dave
for what it’s worth, I agree that it’s ‘asked’ and ‘kids in Aldershot’.
Regarding the last four ‘them’s the…..’, there is at least one vocal singing ‘aviarys’ in the first line but the other three are ‘auguries’.
Possibly.
Feb 6th, 2010
Ben
This one needs to go back to the judge (Source) for The finches/Aldershot/Aviaries fandango.
Any chance Exo?
Mar 15th, 2010
Charles Exford
Ben, I’m inevitably racked with regret at all the things I never had the chance to ask. Had time for about 40 queries, and this wasn’t amongst them, because I thought I was always sure about Aldershot, finches, aviaries x 4.
Now of course I’m not at all sure about the latter. I’m with Dagenham Dave
now.
Of course “auguries” isn’t generally pronounced like that, but I think that’s what the last three are. Exactly the same etymology as “aviaries” of course, so why not pronounce it like that ?
whilst we’re on non-standard pronunciations I guess I’d better do the “alms” one next …
Mar 16th, 2010
Neil G
Listen to the Peel Session version. It has Nigel singing on his own and it is clearly Aldershot, finches and aviaries.
Mar 16th, 2010
Charles Exford
You’re quite right Neil, I remember now that it’s all perfectly clear from the Peel version and that’s why I didn’t feel the need to ask about this one.
On the album version only one of the four sound like a clean “aviaries”, and it’s either cos of this ‘double tracking’ business or it’s a cock-up on the backing vocals.
Mar 16th, 2010
@steve_nicholls
Surprised that the Avaries thing is still hotly debated after NB57 confirms this in the interview quoted above.
Which in itself suggests that it would be finches that spark the question “what’s them things there?”
BTW, in the “Evil Gazebo” discussion, I have accepted that my “remorse course” suggestion was wrong. Listening to HMHB on headphones makes such a difference (as with most music, I guess)
Mar 17th, 2010
Charles Exford
Steve, we all knew Nigel sang “aviaries” at least once on the album version (and at least 4 times on the Peel version), but precisely because they are messing about, as he said in that interview, it’s not clear that all the vocalists on all the vocal tracks are singing a “v” sound on those last 3. In fact I’d say they definitely aren’t.
Mar 17th, 2010
@steve_nicholls
fair enough … I must admit on my first hearing, I thought they were singing “Bend the aviaries”.
Mar 17th, 2010
Ricardo
No hyphen in noseband.
A question mark after June?
Apr 7th, 2010
@steve_nicholls
Man charged with having photo of someone having sex with a dead squid – the charge was amended after it was admitted the animal could have been an octopus…
May 13th, 2010
@steve_nicholls
I hear “Kids in Aga shops”. But that doesn’t really make as much sense as Argos shops.
Although does anyone say “Argos shops” – isn’t it just Argos?
I bet Nigel’s got an Aga….
Sep 6th, 2010
Ric-ardo
My post of over 14 months ago – or post 34 (are those numbers new, or is it that I’ve just noticed them?) – seems to have passed without effect.
May I reiterate my request to have the hyphen in noseband removed? I am prepared to offer a “remove one erroneous hyphen, remove one free” deal, by suggesting that the one in packhorse be removed also.
Jun 22nd, 2011
Bobby String
@Steve Nicholls
If Nigel does have an Aga, I bet he at least knows how to use it!
Jul 30th, 2011
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