Razzle in my Pocket Lyrics
South street Romford shopping arcade
Got a Razzle magazine, I never paid
Inside my jacket, and away double-quick
Good sense told me once was enough
But I had a cocky eye on more of the stuff
Put the Razzle in my pocket back to have another pick
I put my thieving hand on something rude
I walked right out with a silhouette of nudes
'Hold on sonny,' said a voice at my side
'I think you've taken one of my books'
Passers by gave me dirty looks
'Not me, mister,' I bravely lied
'If it's money for your lunch, I'd have given you a loan
Have you got any form? Were you on your own?
Round to the station and we'll tell the cops.'
'I'm ever so ashamed, it was wicked and rash
Here's the book back, and here's the cash
I've never stole before, I promise I'll stop'
If we go to the law, another thief is born
And I'll get the book back creased and torn
So return what you've taken and apologise.'
I gave him back his nudey book
I said I was sorry; I slung my hook
With the Razzle in my pocket as the second prize
I love this song, probably my second favorite of Dury's after 'My Old Man.' This song just captures exactly what childhood was like. Spending the holidays misbehaving, taking small victories in the world of adults, and blagging your way out of trouble. 'With the Razzle in my pocket as the second prize' is a line that, to me, just sums up how small your life is when you're a kid, but that at the time you thought everything was so big and important.
Oh and on a more intellectual note, has anyone noticed the strange rhyme scheme? It's two groups of fourteen lines, sort of like a pair of sonnets, but the rhyme scheme is nothing like the sonnets I was taught about when I was a kid. Still, Ian Dury is one great songwriter to come up with this. Definitely one of my favorite songs!
A great Ian Dury track. I too love the way he says 'with the razzle in my pocket as the second prize.' It's like a sense of achievement that he got away with it after all!
A great Ian Dury track. I too love the way he says 'with the razzle in my pocket as the second prize.' It's like a sense of achievement that he got away with it after all!
Oh, and I should probably explain that when the protagonist of this song is asked if he has any 'form', he is being asked whether he has a criminal record. I just thought it might be hard to work out for those who don't live in England.
From my home-made Ian Dury companion (yeah...)
‘I went out on the nick’ – to nick = to steal. To go out with the sole purpose of stealing things.
‘South Street, Romford, Shopping Arcade’ – South Street is a major road in Romford which is a market town in Havering and also happens to be where I was born, raised and currently live. There are several shopping arcades but a lot of them hadn’t been built at the time, so I can’t tell you which one it is, my granddad seems to think it’s one that’s not there anymore. The Jewellers form later in the song does still exist however. Though it’s changed it’s name.
Razzle Magazine – a porn magazine Silhouette of Nudes – another porn magazine
‘Have you got any form?’ – do you have any previous convictions. ‘I slung my hook’ – to sling your hook is basically to fuck off, to depart from somewhere quickly.
This is one of my all time favourite songs; I’ve actually done this too as a kid, thieved magazines from South Street. It was the song that got me into Ian Dury also.
Oh and yes i did notice the rhyming scheme.