Both as a standalone and as part of the DSOTS album, you can take this lyric as read. As a matter of public record, Jourgensen's drug intake was legendary even in the 1980s. By the late 90s, in his own words, he was grappling with massive addiction issues and had lost almost everything: friends, spouse, money and had nearly died more than once. "Dark Side of the Spoon" is a both funny & sad title for an album made by a musical genius who was losing the plot; and this song is a message to his fans & friends saying he knows it. It's painful to listen to so I'm glad the "Keith Richards of industrial metals" wised up and cleaned up. Well done sir.
I could have put my head in a bucket full of porridge and moaned about the hospital parking scheme.
I would have saved £14, that I just splashed out on your second album.
Cause thats what its akin to, and further more...
You've got a shit arm, and that's a bad tattoo (x 2)
If your going to quote from the Book of Revelation, don't go calling it the book of revelations,
theres no 's', it's the Book of Revelation as revealed by St John the Divine.
See also Mary Hopkin, she must despair
You've got a shit arm, and that's a bad tatoo (x 2)
Advent in the high street, I point and sing...
Busk when it's Christmas,
You only busk when it's Christmas
You've got a shit arm, and thats a bad tattoo (x 2)
Shit arm, bad tattoo ( x 7)
Well you got a shit arm... and that's a bad tattoo
I would have saved £14, that I just splashed out on your second album.
Cause thats what its akin to, and further more...
You've got a shit arm, and that's a bad tattoo (x 2)
If your going to quote from the Book of Revelation, don't go calling it the book of revelations,
theres no 's', it's the Book of Revelation as revealed by St John the Divine.
See also Mary Hopkin, she must despair
You've got a shit arm, and that's a bad tatoo (x 2)
Advent in the high street, I point and sing...
Busk when it's Christmas,
You only busk when it's Christmas
You've got a shit arm, and thats a bad tattoo (x 2)
Shit arm, bad tattoo ( x 7)
Well you got a shit arm... and that's a bad tattoo
Lyrics submitted by songmeaningsrule
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Its about the Libertines - and how they are Shybo! The shit arm, bad tattoo is taken from the cover for their 2nd album, which has pete n carl showing their Libertines tattoos on their arms.
The book of relevation part refers to The Libertines' What A Waster single - offending lyrics are "When she wakes up in the morning, she writes down all her dreams, reads like the Book of Revelations, or the Beano or the unabridged Ulysses.".
Great song!!
It's "Advent in the high street", not "I went in the high street".
Also, it's not actually about the Libs. It seems like it should be, but Nigel has stated that, in fact, it's not. Whether you believe him, of course, is a different matter, but that's the official line from the songwriter!
come on, its blatanly about this libertines. i'd guess the "you only busk when its christmas" comes from a few years back when the libertines busked in the underground just before christmas, largely for the entertainment of a "just passing" nme journalist
Nigel once said that there is a HMHB tribute act from Sunderland called "It Ain't Half Man Mum!" so I wouldn't take his public utterances all that seriously if I were you! He also had John Peel read out a list of tour dates that culminated with a gig at "The Climie Fisher Memorial Gravel Quarries, Bridport in Dorset".
I hope they someday do play in a gravel quarry, and more importantly, I hope that I'm there when they do.
I figure you have to accept what Nigel says and admit this song wasn't necessarily written about the Libertines, but it sure as fuck applies to them. I did indeed spend £14 on their second album, and yes, I may as well have stuck my head in a bucket full of porridge and moaned about the hospital parking system. Oh the enlightenment I underwent upon hearing Achtung Bono...