This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Nice day for a sulk
The girl smells of milk
Her horsey teeth explode around us
And we run for cover she found us
In the cheapo bar with a bag of chips
Nice day for a mood
The forecast is good
The kids are melting in the doorway
Keep the gang together
There's no way will you ever be misunderstood by me
Nice day for a jam
The Fall, Manfred Mann
Dance party, summer lasts forever
When the band's together and bobby
Drank too much and fell in the Clyde
The girl smells of milk
Her horsey teeth explode around us
And we run for cover she found us
In the cheapo bar with a bag of chips
Nice day for a mood
The forecast is good
The kids are melting in the doorway
Keep the gang together
There's no way will you ever be misunderstood by me
Nice day for a jam
The Fall, Manfred Mann
Dance party, summer lasts forever
When the band's together and bobby
Drank too much and fell in the Clyde
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher, edited by emmaelpee
Nice Day for a Sulk Lyrics as written by Christopher Geddes Campbe
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Hipgnosis Songs Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I think this song reflects the affect that friends can have on you when you're down. It follows the passage of a day where the speaker starts off pretty depressed, bumming around some bar or caf with a mate and trying to avoid people (nice day for a sulk/the girl smells of milk). He starts perking up as more of the close friends come over and in the end they decide to have a jam, drink too much down by the river on a summer's evening and laugh at Bobby when he falls in the lake. Just a nice song. 'fold your hands' is a really underrated album imo.
This song is amazing. I love how the sound and the title are incongruous-- the song chugs/marches along kind of with a feeling of being carefree/oblivious to everything going on (if that makes sense?) The sound has a feel of being at your grandma's house as a little kid and she's making you a sandwich and all you can think about is how content you are with your grandma and your sandwich in her happy kitchen without awareness of the world's troubles. However, the title is somewhat jarring "nice day....for a sulk" sounds like it is something someone who is jaded with life would say. This hypothetical cynic is no longer excited by life's little pleasures (like sunshine and sandwiches) and would rather be sour to prove a point.
Now onto the lyrics themselves... Honestly, I think the lyrics are mostly nonsense/fun/silly. They seem like they could have been lyrics formed by filling out a Mad Lib (those stories where you fill in parts of speech and the end result is often hilarious and nonsensical). I think it's pointless to read too much into these lyrics, but I do think they paint vivid and entertaining imagery for the listener. Seriously, just picture the first stanza...
My favorite line is "There's no way you will ever be misunderstood by me." I think there's comfort in knowing someone intimately for a long time (like your best friends in your "gang") and having a deep understanding of eachother and knowing that your intentions/meanings/thoughts will always be understood by at least someone. It certainly is an awful feeling going somewhere where you don't know anyone or only know people on a superficial level and being misunderstood by them. Often, strangers or acquaintances don't really understand what you're saying because they have not spent enough time with you to genuinely know you, but with a best friend/parent/significant other, etc. you can depend on them to "get" you and likewise. The last stanza is less abstract/silly, but describes a carefree summer, listening to Brit bands (The Fall--also referenced in Jens Lekman's "Maple Leaves" and Manfred Mann) dancing the summer away.
I could listen to this song on repeat for hours (and I have). It is light and silly and yet still has a bittersweet nostalgic feel to it that betrays the (at times) nonsensical lyrics.
You're obviously not a true Belle and Sebastian fan, given by what you said: "I think it's pointless to read too much into these lyrics..." The following supports my argument: <br /> <br /> For example, when Stuart says, "The Fall, Manfred Mann," does he mean fall as in autumn or the actual fall of the band Manfred Mann?<br /> <br /> Also, when Stuart says, "Drank too much and fell in the Clyde," he's referring to the Clyde River in Scotland. Does Bobby drown? Perhaps that's the reason for the "nice day for a sulk." (Nice day that turned into a sulky one.)<br /> <br /> You should go back to their very first song, <i>The State I Am In</i>, on their very first album and take the time to analyze the lyrics. Or just read some of comments of interpretation to be blown away: songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858542672/<br /> <br /> I've spent many years listening to Belle and Sebastian, as well as years analyzing Belle and Sebastian lyrics, yet I still don't fully understand the meaning–figurative, literal, etc.–behind many of their songs. Please don't ever say "I think it's pointless to read too much into these lyrics" ever again. Thank you.
I won't be quite so cutting as cadaverousmob, but I do agree with her/him that your interpretation of the song (as nonsensical) is incorrect. The lyrics make perfect sense.<br /> <br /> This song is about a moody-sulky person hanging out with friends and gaining some comfort from that. If you are going to sulk, it is often less unpleasant to sulk with like-minded spirits.