Nothing like a greasy pack of chips when your on holiday in Blackpool with the wife and kids. What a great British Institution!
Original songs from the mid to late 1970's. My first adventures in songwriting and performing. Good times
It exists therefore it am. They came from inner space and left no turn unstoned. The journey began and nothing was ever the same again (or during). Are you ready to cruise with the Spaceship Vicar?
Story behind the song
I recall being on a songwriting retreat when it was explained you could write a song about anything... even food. I was like 'duh... been there done that'.
'Chips' is a song I wrote as a teenager, on the piano in the front room of my family home in Orchard Road. It imagines a family on their annual holiday to Blackpool enjoying their chip supper after a fun day at the beach. A very northern ditty. The mid section features Yvonne on the chip pan.
The little bit of dialogue in the middle came out of an experience in a local chip shop when a rather arrogant man ahead of me complained loudly to the server, 'No. I don't want salt and vinegar. It ruins the taste'. The server gave them a withering look that seemed to say, 'The trouble with the world today is people like you!' Such a random thing to happen.
I hope others will agree that Fish and Chip shops (and seaside holidays) are wonderfully British things to celebrate. What better way than with a ridiculous tune!
There is a lot of talk about 'ai' these days and I suspect this is not a tune 'ai' would ever come up with. Not even sure what genre it would fit into. 'Sarcastic, nationalistic, northern brit, music hall, piano pop' maybe? And as for that person who complained all my songs sounded the same? Right.
Lyrics
Chips
Look at me I'm silly
Slobbering on my chips
I've just been to Blackpool
With the wife and kids
We had a bit of sunshine
A good time was had
Except for poor old Mabel
Who got bitten by a crab
Did a bit of paddling
Went to see the fair
Mabel won the bingo
Hip hip hip hooray
Look at me I'm silly
Eating chips and getting fat
But I like chips
I think they are fabulous
Never mind the weather
Or the time of day
Fatty and slimy
Greasy and grimy
What a great British Institution, Mabel
Deserves a place in British History
What a great British Institution, Mabel
Deserves a place in British History
Never mind the weather
Or the time of day
Fatty and slimy
Greasy and grimy
Eeee - I could eat them all day
"(Salt and Vinegar love?"
"No thanks I like mine raw"!
"Y'know the trouble with the world today
is that not enough people just like those sort of chips anymore"
"Oh, really? I never thought of it that way! Know what I mean?")
What a great British Institution, Mabel
Deserves a place in British History
What a great British Institution, Mabel
Deserves a place in British History
What a great British Institution, Mabel
Deserves a place in British History
Ho hee
Ho hee
