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Making Plans For Nigel Lyrics
We're only making plans for Nigel
We only want what's best for him
We're only making plans for Nigel
Nigel just needs this helping hand
And if young Nigel says he's happy
He must be happy
He must be happy in his work
We're only making plans for Nigel
He has his future in a British steel
We're only making plans for Nigel
Nigel's whole future is as good as sealed
And if young Nigel says he's happy
He must be happy
He must be happy in his work
Nigel is not outspoken
But he likes to speak
And loves to be spoken to
Nigel is happy in his work
We're only making plans for Nigel
Definitely a song about parents planning the life of their child out. This song was way ahead of its time in that respect. Remember, this was 1979, long before the Generation X kids would start whining through grunge music about being dienfranchised. If you were to look up "New Wave" in the dictionary, this song would be there.
Primus does a great cover of this song, by the way...I suggest you listen to it!
@IvoKent Parents, or school administrators? Something about the tone of the song makes me think the narrator is a school official or something bureaucratic.
@IvoKent Parents, or school administrators? Something about the tone of the song makes me think the narrator is a school official or something bureaucratic.
@IvoKent Well said and Thank You.
@IvoKent Well said and Thank You.
I think its about the average British bloke that was in the 80's. All he thinks he want is a steady job and everything will fit into place.
But the stance of the song seem to suggest that Nigel hasn't got it all figured out. Mybe hs is missing out on something better.
I think that this song is about parents that control their children's lives and are unwilling to let them make their own decisions. The "we" in this song is the parents and Nigel is their son. They're planning out his whole life while he is still very young, maybe even too young to understand what is really going on.
Its a great song and i can't believe only one other person has commented on it. Definately check it out if you haven't heard it.
Awsome song - i was born in the 80's and just discovered this song. so yeah, here is my two cents!
to me when xtc sung 'we are making plans for nigel' they were taking on the persona of the patriachal politcal party of the time - the party that formed the company that was 'british steel'.
so in that light they are singing about a politcal party creating jobs for workers (Nigels)
However they (the pollies) are 'ONLY' making plans for Nigel. which kind of indicates that everyone else is neglected.... musicians!? or anyone creative i guess.
the kooky, crazy sort of tune and singing kind of crreates a sense of madness and stupidity. I think this is an indicator to the bands attitude to the way the government was trying to plan thier lives for them, esp. when the best they could come up with was working in a steel plant! So it is kind of about nationalism, control vs. freedom, life and how depressing work is etc.
doodleboy's impression of this song is by far the most accurate. I was a tween during this era and this music very much made me who I am.
doodleboy's impression of this song is by far the most accurate. I was a tween during this era and this music very much made me who I am.
The song is ironic, in that British Steel ultimately laid thousands of employees off because the Conservatives (the British version of the U.S. Republican Party) got it all horribly wrong. There was much unemployment (the source of the Sex Pistols angst towards Thatcher and Queen Elizabeth) and getting a job in the mining, steel, or automotive industry was supposed to be the panacea. Of course, those industries are all but dead now...
The song is ironic, in that British Steel ultimately laid thousands of employees off because the Conservatives (the British version of the U.S. Republican Party) got it all horribly wrong. There was much unemployment (the source of the Sex Pistols angst towards Thatcher and Queen Elizabeth) and getting a job in the mining, steel, or automotive industry was supposed to be the panacea. Of course, those industries are all but dead now in Britain.
sugarfish, Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister in 1979, a year after the Sex Pistols split up...
sugarfish, Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister in 1979, a year after the Sex Pistols split up...
@doodleboy I think Nigel symbolizes 'Joe Six Pack' and my gut feeling is that the original lyrics were "He has his future in a British still" I think the song is a social commentary on the evil social engineering undertaken to dumb down the average working Joe, lower his expectations, and make him numb to his own suffering and misery . Hence, he is easily pacified via all the food additives and other poisons like alcohol and adulterated water and vaccines etc. At a guess the real meaning of the song has been concealed, and the real lyrics concealed,...
@doodleboy I think Nigel symbolizes 'Joe Six Pack' and my gut feeling is that the original lyrics were "He has his future in a British still" I think the song is a social commentary on the evil social engineering undertaken to dumb down the average working Joe, lower his expectations, and make him numb to his own suffering and misery . Hence, he is easily pacified via all the food additives and other poisons like alcohol and adulterated water and vaccines etc. At a guess the real meaning of the song has been concealed, and the real lyrics concealed, because these guys were co-opted by the system. Nigel has his whole future awaiting him in alcoholism and poverty, and he will even be happy with it , because that is all that he can expect in today's world. He'll shut up and stay in his place, 'his world';, if he knows what's best for him. So its not his parents speaking, its the societal planners, the top think tanks, who have plans for Nigel. The term 'British still" is particularly brilliant , because it implies a class thing, ie: Nigel cannot even afford the imports , he's got to drink the cheap British swill, and the powers that be are quite content with that too, because they quite intend to make a lot of money on the arrangement. Another subtly implied angle is that Nigel will never escape his class confinement, so 'his world' will be limited to Britain. He will never taste freedom. The line "he must be happy, he must be happy in his world" is also brilliant, with double meaning. Meaning of course that Nigel is confined to his standing in life and if he is to be happy at all, he is going to have to be happy with the way things are , 'his world', so to speak. He HAS to be happy in his world , because there is no escape from his poverty and oppression. And 'his world' is one in which other people plan his future for him, limit his future possibilities etc. I'm starting to realize why I always loved this song , those biting words are fascinating. At a guess 'British Steel' and 'British Still' were interchanged as the song evolved. I think it is mocking of the apathy of the working classes as well. They are too easily satisfied, too apathetic, accepting to the point of being almost mentally retarded, which of course many alcoholics and working class peole are , essentially. Mentally impaired due injuries, substance abuse, malnutrition etc. the various vagaries of poverty and ignorance. So the song implies that Nigel is retarded enough to go along with it all.
To me, it's about a boy who may want to be a musician or something, but his parents have this fantasy of their son living the life of a "normal adult" working at a normal "responsible" job (like in a steel company) maybe be autobiographical about one of the fellows in the band, with only the name changed?
when this song came out (like 80 or 81), i also thought it was about parents who were planning their kid's life out for him. I always liked this song but kinda forgot about it. Then i picked up the Waxworks singles comp a few years ago and rediscovered the song.
Now, when i listen to it, i feel that maybe something is wrong with Nigel. Maybe he has downs syndrome or is challenged in some way. The lyric that is he says he must be happy, then he must be happy makes me think that Nigel is not all that aware of the world around him. But then again, what do i know.
I think my own interpretation is pretty close to yours. I always just assumed that Nigel was challenged in some way, or that at least his parents THINK of him as being challenged. I feel it's meant to reflect the way parents SEE their children, and may not quite understand them, and who try to give them what they think of as a good future because they don't think the child can do it for themselves. Or that these are parents who are trying to convince themselves that the only way to get by and have a good life is...
I think my own interpretation is pretty close to yours. I always just assumed that Nigel was challenged in some way, or that at least his parents THINK of him as being challenged. I feel it's meant to reflect the way parents SEE their children, and may not quite understand them, and who try to give them what they think of as a good future because they don't think the child can do it for themselves. Or that these are parents who are trying to convince themselves that the only way to get by and have a good life is to become the typical modern upright citizen worker, and trying to convince themselves that their son will be happy in that role.
@Fistacuffs Sounds like Nigel might suffer from autism.
@Fistacuffs Sounds like Nigel might suffer from autism.
this song is just perfect ! it's just impossible not to have the drum intro in my head... clearly about parents expecting their son to be a good boy : "Nigel's whole future is as good as sealed"... such an horrible line in such a healing song ! if you don't know it, go and listen to another fantastic XTC song, "No Thugs In Our House" (on "English Settlement", one of their masterpieces): in a way, it's the sequel for that song, in the continuing story of that british teen symbolized by Nigel... and if you want to know what his dreams look like, just go back to "Across The Universe" by the Boys Of Hamburg !
definitely a political song, but a subtle one
labor and conservatives in UK politics of the time, the politicians make their plans and policies for the people that are working in the factories, they need to be happy in their work, without speaking out too much or complaining too much, but society needs to be happy for the politicians to get re-elected
Political yes and using a metaphor of controlling and meddling parents as the government. Maybe it was meant to point the finger at both? Oppression comes in many forms.
The only parent in this song is a controlling body describing their perfect citizen. Nigel is "happy in his work", speaks but "is not outspoken" and "loves to be spoken to". This song reeks of political mind control and numbing of the senses. "British Steel" is a deliberate choice to to describe Nigel as an employee of the government. Repetition of phrases can be viewed as hypnotic in their simplicity lulling Nigel into his simple life.