Little Shocks Lyrics

Lyric discussion by Severai 

Cover art for Little Shocks lyrics by Kaiser Chiefs

The song is about the writer and playwright Joe Orton and his lover (and murderer) Kenneth Halliwell, who killed Orton in 1967 out of a mixture of jealousy and frustration before also killing himself. 'The Ruffian on the Stair' is a play by Orton. 'What the Butler Saw' is also an Orton play. The bodies were found by a chauffeur (driver) hired to drive Orton the day after the murder.
Halliwell left a suicide note in which he said that his reasons would be explained 'if you read the diaries - especially the latter part'.