The Fix

"Postally pipped" is a play on "pipped at the post", i.e. overtaken at the last minute. "Our pigeons have finally landed" is to do with pigeon racing; if your pigeon at least lands, you've had some degree of success.

I had absolutely no idea what this song was until Guy clarified (at the Glastonbury concert last year, I think) that it's all about rigging a horse race. So, for those who were as lost as me, as many of these confusing lovely terms clarfied as I can, thanks to a dictionary and Wikipedia:

"The fix is in" - they've fixed the horse race! Epsom Downs is a racecourse near London. Postally means angrily... pipped means drunk, I think, which doesn't make much sense, but the short of it is that they're bleedin' annoyed. They've made the saddles on the other horses heavier, and mickeys (or Mickey Finns) are drinks they've slipped the other jockeys to get them drunk. "The redoubtable beast has had pegasus pills" - I'm reasonably sure they've given their horse steroids. Vino di Vici is wine, of course. :) "Pigeons have finally landed" sounds like it should be a saying, but I draw a blank. The Donahue Sisters is a play. But they may be actual sisters. A penguin is a tuxedo, so they'll be rich and classy. I want to see Guy Garvey in a tuxedo now.

I think "the saddles are loaded, the mickeys are slipped" means that the other horses and had extra weight put into their saddles and the stable lads, who are often Irish (micks = mickeys) been bribed (slipped cash).

Pegasus pills could mean steroids or just mean that the horse is almost fast enough to fly (Pegasus = flying horse)

The snaps of the stewards so candid - suggests that the officials are in on the fix as well

Penguins and pearls - dinner suits and smart dresses for the ladies.

Donahue Sisters - is the name of a play set in Ireland by Gerald Aron. No obviously connection but keeps with the Irish theme

Another hit by Elbow. This song is criminally hip in the same way as Fugitive Motel.

Well done moonflash

I love this song, but it gives me the creeps. I imagine it's from the perspective of someone who is hired to help organised criminals fix horse races, has been doing so for years, but then decides this time to fix the race in his own favour instead, and run away with the proceeds. In his mind he's imagining the great time he'll have, but you know that he will eventually get tracked down. Just listen to it with that in mind and you'll see what I mean.

Vino di Vici means Victory Wine, meaning Garvey's sure he'll win. Unlike, say, Amarone della Valpolicella or Taurasi, Vino di Vici is something that, in reality, is not produced. At least not as a type of wine.

'The mickeys are slipped' I think is more likely to refer to a 'mickey finn' which is a drugged drink - see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MickeyFinn%28drugs%29 - I would surmise that the opposing horses - or at least those of them considered likely to beat our horse - have been given (or 'slipped') drugs to slow them down.

surely its harder not to get this song!! its pretty bloody obvious