Favourite lines from Fall tracks

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it's often kinda hard to work out why you like a particular line from The Fall - sometimes it's about the delivery, the strangeness of the words, the peculiar incongruity of them can be hilarious. sometimes I get the references but more often than I don't. In spite of this they can rattle around in your head for weeks at a time anyway. I sometimes sjip back the cd a minute of so so i can hear a particular line again, again, again...

"He had a kingdom of evil book,
under a German history book.
he was! contrived! like that!"

(Garden, my favourite fall song)

"take your fleecy jumper, you don't need it anymore,
it is in the car-boot moving away"

(Theme from Sparta F.C.)

― jed_ (jed), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 20:38 (twenty years ago)

sjip = skip

― jed_ (jed), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 20:39 (twenty years ago)

Hotel maids smile in unison
Then you know in your brain
You know in your brain
LEAVE THE CAPITOL

― (Jon L), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 20:43 (twenty years ago)

Pretty much all the choruses from Eat Y'rself Fitter; e.g. "What's a computer?!? (Eat y'rself fitter!) WHAT'S A COMPUTER! (Eat y'rself fitter!)" Oh and also "G-O-H-O-H-O-I-O, G-O-H-O-H-O-I-O!"

― n/a (Nick A.), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 20:44 (twenty years ago)

Mother-Sister! Mother-Sister! Why-did-you-put-your-head-in-ah

PYYYYYYYYY-LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONARGHHHHHargghharghh

― Michael Philip Philip Philip Philip Philip Annoyman (Ferg), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 20:48 (twenty years ago)

"Th-th-the house is filled with ecstatic midges-uh"

― Loose Translation: Sexy Dancer (sexyDancer), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 20:52 (twenty years ago)

"Your Clearasil produces Richthofen rashes,
Sideboard-like on mountains
Clearasil is in conjunction"

and

"Stop eating all that chocolate
Eat salad instead
In fact, you're a half-wit"

from Glam Racket

― jed_ (jed), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 20:55 (twenty years ago)

I only think of Fall songs one line at a time..

God damn the pedantic Welsh.
Get down to the fuckin liquor store, boy.

except
I hate the prisoners
I hate the officers
There's no fight
I think I'll join,
a red rose,
Leave Belsen
I'll go to Switzerland

― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 20:55 (twenty years ago)

"New puritan! You shook me! I wash every day! But still it's, ah... but still it's, ah... UNCLEEEEAN-ah! UNCLEEEEAN-ah!"

"They got a Safeway there! They got a fuckin' Safeway everywhere!"

― Douglas (Douglas), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 20:58 (twenty years ago)

ha - whats the safeway one from?

― jed_ (jed), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:56 (twenty years ago)

"Touch my shoulder and ignore my dogmission."

Oh, boy.

― Burger Kong, Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:57 (twenty years ago)

there are so many, even in one song. i would like to give it up for the climax of "mere pseud mag ed."

He showed he was a big fan of double-entendre
Saw Not the Nine O'Clock News History of the World Part One
Twice each at least
Twice each at least
Twice each at least

oh fuck it, an earlier part too...

Real ale, curry as well - sophisticate!
Spanish guitar doesn't get far
In computer teaching job
His dreamgirl sings adverts for the Weetabix
A fancied wit that's imitation of Rumpole of Bailey

― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 22:10 (twenty years ago)

all of "Stop Mithering"

― roger adultery, Tuesday, 19 October 2004 22:12 (twenty years ago)

That's why you eat crap food
That's why nobody talks to you
That's why you messed up everything you do

― paranoia is the hipster's disease (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 22:43 (twenty years ago)

Drink the long draught down
Drink the long
Drink the long draught

― Salim "Off to the pub" Diggity (salim), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 23:21 (twenty years ago)

i always thought it was 'dan', as in mark and dan are discussing the hip priest..

― chris andrews (fraew), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 23:39 (twenty years ago)

ROWCHE RUMBLE CHSS CHSSSS

― cutty (mcutt), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 23:45 (twenty years ago)

CHECK THE RECORD CHECK THE RECORD CHECK THE GUY'S TRACK RECORD CHECK THE RECORD CHECK THE GUY'S TRACK RECORD...HE...IS...NOTTTAHH!!!

― r4nd0m g00gler, Wednesday, 20 October 2004 00:22 (twenty years ago)

Pay your rates
Pay your own rates
If your rates too high
You'd better sign this letter
If you don't pay your rates
You're gonna end up here
Or end up on debtors retreat estate
Or debtor's retreat escape
Debtor's escape estate

― the surface noise (slight return) (electricsound), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 00:46 (twenty years ago)

Meanwhile
in the
sticks
proles
rich (uh)
dance
in
card
board pants

― Graeme (Graeme), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 01:06 (twenty years ago)

Dr Annabel Lies
On the colour page
French fries spread on her face
On the future autolytic enzyme son

― Graeme (Graeme), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 01:10 (twenty years ago)

simple and obvious, i know, but i get so much joy from these lines:

"Hey there fuck face!
Hey there fuck face!"

― frankE (frankE), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 01:53 (twenty years ago)

And I feel like Alan Minter
I just ate eight sheets of blotting paper
And I tripped out on the Alka Seltzer

― joseph pot (STINKOR™), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 03:52 (twenty years ago)

No belts in this flat
The former tenant was anti-corporal-punish
Meant well, but it came to nothing

― a. begrand (a begrand), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 04:05 (twenty years ago)

"Where are the obligatory niggers?"

― Mr. Snrub, Wednesday, 20 October 2004 04:13 (twenty years ago)

simple and obvious, i know, but i get so much joy from these lines:
"Hey there fuck face!
Hey there fuck face!"

-- frankE (frankeeeeeeee...), October 20th, 2004.

I wholeheartedly second that.

― David Allen (David Allen), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 06:59 (twenty years ago)

"Winston Churchill had a speech impuh-puh-pediment
And look what he did... razed half of London."

― Dr Benway (dr benway), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 07:32 (twenty years ago)

I too like "hey there fuck face!" but am never 100% comfortable with that N-word (no matter how innocuous) immediately after. So I gotta go with:

"I got my last clean dirty shirt out of the wardrobe-ah! I got my last clean dirty shirt out of the wardrobe-ah!"

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 07:39 (twenty years ago)

Oh, and:

"Do not fuck us - we are frigid stars!"

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 07:43 (twenty years ago)

and you're dying for a pee
so you go behind a tree
and a Star Wars police vehicle pulls up...
I say "Gimme a taxi"

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 08:22 (twenty years ago)

Or alternatively, from the Peel Session version

The best thing is to stay home
And have a wank

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 08:23 (twenty years ago)

all of 'i am damo suzuki'

― frenchbloke (frenchbloke), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 08:28 (twenty years ago)

When what used to excite you does not
Like you've used up all your allowance of experiences

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 08:49 (twenty years ago)

This is the three R's
The three R's:
Repetition, Repetition, Repetition.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 08:55 (twenty years ago)

The X in X-mas is a substitute crucifix for Christ

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 11:21 (twenty years ago)

Er, what's this song about?
Er, nothing.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 11:21 (twenty years ago)

"What a dynamic entrance!"

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 12:15 (twenty years ago)

We're still one step ahead of you
I still believe in the R and R dream
R and R as primal scream

Tied to the Puritan Ethic
Non-sympathetic to spastics
After all this, still a lonely bastard

Eggheads, boneheads, queue
Queue for them

We were early and we were late
But, still, live at the witch trials

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 12:23 (twenty years ago)

Is this a branch on the tree of showbusiness?

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 12:27 (twenty years ago)

From Mess Of My: "It's the same old cabbage" and "Fill the rest in yourself" for the total attitude in the delivery.

― everything, Wednesday, 20 October 2004 15:56 (twenty years ago)

"Er, what's this song about?
Er, nothing. "

RIGHT ON! That line still kills me.

― everything, Wednesday, 20 October 2004 15:58 (twenty years ago)

how he laughed at the greek god pan

i didnae! i didnae!

― peter smith (plsmith), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 16:00 (twenty years ago)

"Er, what's this song about?
Er, nothing."

what's the track?

― jed_ (jed), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 16:14 (twenty years ago)

um, right before "industrial estate" or something on Live at the Witch Trials.

― peter smith (plsmith), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 16:15 (twenty years ago)

Mah frenz don't add up to one hand
Mah frenz cannout count on one hand
Tell ya 'bout mah frenz.

― Rick Massimo (Rick Massimo), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 16:17 (twenty years ago)

what's the track?

'Mother-Sister!'

― Graeme (Graeme), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 16:17 (twenty years ago)

so many..but this is probably the one that pops into my head most often (recently anyway)

"10 times my age/1/10th my height!" from City Hobgoblins

― chris besinger (chris besinger), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 16:23 (twenty years ago)

BAZDAD. STATE COG. ANALYST.

― Loose Translation: Sexy Dancer (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 17:04 (twenty years ago)

In 1978
I was in a hotel in Notting Hill Gate
Now its 1992
I'm staying in a hotel in Notting Hill Gate

― neil tacus (tacit), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 17:31 (twenty years ago)

I've been bunged up, I've been banged up
I've been moved up, I've been banged up
I said ba da ba da ba da badaaaaa

there are twelve people in the world; the rest are paste

former fan at the bus stop,
treads on the ball at his feet in the christmas rush
had in his hands, two lager cans

There's a blood silhouette through the ceiling sky

the nylon leaves are falling from the twisted shell of your cranium

multicoloured sweets in bottom of white sweet pack..?
the realization burns into my back: the joke, five years in a PC camp
the joke... violent food descends over you

― mig (mig), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 17:36 (twenty years ago)

Skipping 67 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

"Two hours!
With four left wing kids
I spent time in Nazi Fortress
Much discussion in room C-H-1-O-C-H-11

I did not understand why
Could not accept the fact
that I'd accepted the contract
Much discussion in this institution
Much discussion in boiled beef and carrots
Room C-H-1-O-C-H-2-O-11"

It's the "boiled beef and carrots" bit that's the winner

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 21 October 2005 11:20 (nineteen years ago)

... tho to be honest I don't think MES wrote anything between 1978-83 that wasn't tinged with genius, diminishing returns thereafter (less drugs?!??!)

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 21 October 2005 11:26 (nineteen years ago)

Come unto me, all ye that labor, you that are heavy laden

― Brakhage (brakhage), Friday, 21 October 2005 16:26 (nineteen years ago)

They say music should be fun
Like reading a story of love
But I wanna read a horror story

― rentboy (rentboy), Friday, 21 October 2005 16:52 (nineteen years ago)

FANS! ! ! "Remember, you are abroad!
Remember the police are rough!
Remember the unemployed!
Remember my expense account!

-also-

Snow on Easter Sunday
Jesus Christ in reverse
I tell ya, the Dutch are weeping
In four languages at least

― space2k (space2k), Friday, 21 October 2005 18:28 (nineteen years ago)

My family's a weird lot
My stepsister's got a horrible growth
Listens to all this muzak shit
Reads Smash Hits while she's eating her tea
To me it sounds like bad CB

― righteousmaelstrom (righteousmaelstrom), Friday, 21 October 2005 20:07 (nineteen years ago)

roffle

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Friday, 21 October 2005 20:09 (nineteen years ago)

When I'm dead and gone
My vibrations will live on
In vibes of vinyl through the years
People will dance to my waves

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Friday, 21 October 2005 20:14 (nineteen years ago)

Sodomized by presumption

― righteousmaelstrom (righteousmaelstrom), Friday, 21 October 2005 20:27 (nineteen years ago)

Intelligentsia
Although your radio has been jammed
I heard talk about by chance
You educated kids know what you're on about
You've been oppressed for years
(marquis cha cha)

― 6335, Friday, 21 October 2005 22:04 (nineteen years ago)

The people I like live in kitchens and hallways.

― Dan Floss (Dan Floss), Saturday, 22 October 2005 04:29 (nineteen years ago)

The people I like live in kitchens and HALLS...

― Bimble The Nimble, Jumped Over A Thimble! (Bimble...), Saturday, 22 October 2005 04:59 (nineteen years ago)

Everyday you have to die some
Everyday you have to cry some

Oswald Defense Lawyer
Embraces scruffed corpse of Walt Whitman
Oswald Defense Lawyer
Embraces the scruffed corpse of Mark Twain

― phantoma, Saturday, 22 October 2005 06:43 (nineteen years ago)

Sodomized by presumption OTM.

God, I love this thread.

― sleeve (sleeve), Saturday, 22 October 2005 17:15 (nineteen years ago)

All the robots descend from the bus-ah
There's a freakout brewin' at-ah my house, my house-ah
In the basement-ah...

'Cause Daft Punk is playing at my house-ah, my house-ah

that's by the fall right? unless some band is completely ripping off the fall vocal stylings. i'm pretty sure that's the fall.

― say wah!, Saturday, 22 October 2005 19:01 (nineteen years ago)

one year passes...

LONGHORN

LONGHORN BREED

Revive becuz of the singles poll thread.

― sleeve, Tuesday, 29 May 2007 15:41 (eighteen years ago)

... whole lyric is genius

― Tom D., Tuesday, 29 May 2007 15:43 (eighteen years ago)

Like your psychotic big brother who left home
For jobs in Holland, Munich, Rome
He's thick but he struck it rich, switch

― Edward III, Tuesday, 29 May 2007 16:04 (eighteen years ago)

condescends to black men
very nice to them

― Edward III, Tuesday, 29 May 2007 16:04 (eighteen years ago)

"He... was the first... to wear an idiotic jacket in a club."

("Look, Know" lyrics variation on the Live In Rejkavik album.)

― Jon Lewis, Tuesday, 29 May 2007 16:10 (eighteen years ago)

OTM the money about C'N'C's Mithering...

Best line from that song

"All the English groups. Act like peasants with free milk"

― Jack Battery-Pack, Tuesday, 29 May 2007 16:16 (eighteen years ago)

THERE'S A FUCKING SAFEWAY EVERYWHERE EVEN IN MANCHESTER

― sleeve, Tuesday, 29 May 2007 16:24 (eighteen years ago)

D. Bowie look-alikes permeate carparks.

― Jon Lewis, Tuesday, 29 May 2007 16:25 (eighteen years ago)

The Manchester regiment of the Stuarts
Would not tread on your patch
Got nearly down to Derby you know
Was stopped by stinking Billy

― Sandy Blair, Tuesday, 29 May 2007 17:47 (eighteen years ago)

the only reason you know this
is that it was well-documented

― edb, Tuesday, 29 May 2007 18:19 (eighteen years ago)

seven months pass...

Forget the act
Read the lit-crit first
You wouldn't even know the sun was up
Unless there was a press release on it

― Drugs A. Money, Saturday, 19 January 2008 06:34 (seventeen years ago)

oh, and never forget "this hideous replica"

― Drugs A. Money, Saturday, 19 January 2008 06:34 (seventeen years ago)

"It takes guts to play the second fiddle well"

― Bimble, Saturday, 19 January 2008 07:04 (seventeen years ago)

Do you want a motorBIIKE?

― RabiesAngentleman, Saturday, 19 January 2008 08:53 (seventeen years ago)

i thought it was "a jew on a motorbike"

― sleepingbag, Saturday, 19 January 2008 10:04 (seventeen years ago)

Is it?!

― RabiesAngentleman, Saturday, 19 January 2008 10:05 (seventeen years ago)

It is

― Tom D., Saturday, 19 January 2008 11:30 (seventeen years ago)

three weeks pass...

The Observer magazine just about sums him up, eg self-satisfied, smug

― Venga, Sunday, 10 February 2008 20:02 (seventeen years ago)

remember when I used to follow you home from school babe?
before they picked me up for pedophilia

― jessie monster, Sunday, 10 February 2008 21:28 (seventeen years ago)

"I may be the big shot original rapper/
and it's time for me to get off this crapper"

- U.S. 80's - 90s

― Bimble, Monday, 11 February 2008 14:21 (seventeen years ago)

It is
I think that just ruined its appeal for me. :\
Not that that isn't a GREAT line.

― RabiesAngentleman, Monday, 11 February 2008 14:28 (seventeen years ago)

And so is..

Do you want a motorBIIKE?

Let's give it all the formatting!

― Mark G, Monday, 11 February 2008 15:22 (seventeen years ago)

Do you want a motorBIIKE?

― Mark G, Monday, 11 February 2008 15:49 (seventeen years ago)

I don't get it. (I'm daft?)

― RabiesAngentleman, Monday, 11 February 2008 15:51 (seventeen years ago)

eight months pass...

A packet of three-five fives
555
A packet of those over there
And 20 special offer cigars

Found talking to the cigarette machine

― Dr X O'Skeleton, Saturday, 1 November 2008 21:21 (sixteen years ago)

Walked downstairs
Got my hat and corny brown leather jacket
Street bloody clean for a change
Must have been the rain

― Kramkoob (Catsupppppppppppppp dude 茄蕃), Saturday, 1 November 2008 22:17 (sixteen years ago)

i've never felt better in my life

― Kevin Keller, Saturday, 1 November 2008 22:20 (sixteen years ago)

Damnit! I was just thinking of a particular Fall lyric the other day. I'll have to think about it, I can't remember right now. NO I got it!

"A HOOP NOW TRYIN' TO FIND
A BELT IN THE EARLY MORN
WHEN YOUR HOME IS A TRASH MOUNT
...OVER BUT YOUR RIGHT OUT"

It's one of those songs on "Wonderful & Frightening World Of The Fall", you know. Can't remember the damn title right now.

Some beautiful person will have to fill in the ellipses in that lyric. Maybe a British person knows what he's saying.

If the road to hell is paved with Republicans, then the road to heaven is paved with Fall fans...

Wait...I didn't post this on Drugs A. Money's thread? Must rectify.

― The Ungrateful Dead (Bimble Is Still More Goth Than You), Saturday, 1 November 2008 22:35 (sixteen years ago)

those are from 'no bulbs'

― edb, Saturday, 1 November 2008 22:53 (sixteen years ago)

and so they are. Gonna add that album to my iPod in 3...2...1...

― The Ungrateful Dead (Bimble Is Still More Goth Than You), Saturday, 1 November 2008 23:04 (sixteen years ago)

Glass of lager in his hand,
Silver microphone in his hand.

― snoball, Saturday, 1 November 2008 23:42 (sixteen years ago)

And basically all of "Crap Rap/Like To Blow"

― snoball, Saturday, 1 November 2008 23:43 (sixteen years ago)

Hate wide for dog breeder
in the town of purport
A never seen dog breeder
This is the tale of his replica.
Name was J. Temperance
Only two did not hate him
Because peasants fear local indifference
Pet shop and the vet, Cameron.

So, let's get this right. This is not about a dog breeder, it's about an artificially created replica of a dog breeder.

He's just so much better than everyone else!

― Sven Hassel Schmuck, Saturday, 1 November 2008 23:52 (sixteen years ago)

Okay look, you people are going to make me pull out Witch Trials. This isn't funny anymore.

― The Ungrateful Dead (Bimble Is Still More Goth Than You), Sunday, 2 November 2008 00:35 (sixteen years ago)

Ungrateful--I thought the line started "I HATE NOW TRYING TO FIIIIIINND..."

My personal fav (although there is no shortage of great lines: WHO MAKES THE NAZIS???

― brightscreamer, Sunday, 2 November 2008 05:26 (sixteen years ago)

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