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Posted by tolhurst (U6377463) on Wednesday, 5th August 2009
Thinking yesterday about the Human League's "Louise" you could tell it was written before they became big stars. Phil doesn't talk about downing his champagne and rushing out to the Rolls-Royce, he is drinking coffee at a bus station.
Which makes me think - travelling by service bus or coach is not part of the rock 'n' roll lifestyle, (can't be, if you get recognised), but what records specifically mention standard (not tour or airport) buses?
(I'm discounting children's tunes like the Double Deckers and Hope and Keen's Crazy Bus (you're taking us away). And Playbus, if that has a song.)
I can think of "National Express" by the Divine Comedy and "Coach Station Reunion" by the Field Mice. I, Ludicrous sing about the 68 bus on "Carter - They're Unstoppable",
Morrissey has famously been described as "him what wants to get ran over off a double decker bus".
I'd be disappointed if Jarvis has never sung about a bus.
Any contributions?
two suggestions spring to mind:
jonathan richman - you're crazy for taking the bus
jeffrey lewis & the junkyard - roll bus roll
and another:
hollies - bus stop
Will invesigate further tonight if I remember.
Magic bus
Kiss me on the Bus
Summer Holiday (by association)
, in reply to message 4.
Posted by EtherealCereal (U14086414) on Wednesday, 5th August 2009
'Cardiac Arrest' by Madness is all about a guy who gets on the bus to work and has a heart attack. Does that count?
And Billy Bragg's 'Walk Away Renee' contains the priceless lines, 'The next day we went on a bus ride to the ferry, and when nobody came to collect our fares, why, I knew then this was something special.' Though he speaks it rather than sings it, so this might not count either...
Both are ruled very much in bounds.
thanks
does that mean the beatles' a day in the life counts?
naturally. Also one of the great songs to mention a comb.
Then there's Dead or Alive's (You) Spin (Me) (Round) (Like a) (Record) which goes "Bus Stop, here I come, you spin me..."
or is that misheard? Jilted John isn't:
"I was so upset that I cried
All the way to the chip shop
When I came out there was Gordon
standing at the bus stop..."
Public Service Announcer - Mull Historical Society
What ever happened to Colin McIntyre?
Elvis's "London's Brilliant Parade" has this bus reference:-
She's one of those girls that you just can't place
You feel guilty desiring such an innocent face
But of course they knew that when they cast her
Along with the red Routemaster
Elvis's "London's Brilliant Parade" has this bus reference:-
She's one of those girls that you just can't place
You feel guilty desiring such an innocent face
But of course they knew that when they cast her
Along with the red RoutemasterΒ
and, just think, to get that rhyming effect today the girl's name would have to be Susan Trendibus...
"Bus" by Fuzz Townshend
Supergrass 'Caught By The Fuzz' references the chaps being at the back of the bus..
The Stairs - 'Weed Bus' ...great band...
The Hollies - erm..Bus Stop.. is that what its called?
Double Deckers - Double Deckers Theme....GET ON BOARD - GET ON BOARD - GET ON BAORD WITH THE DOUBLE DECKERS..FUN AND LAUGHTER - IS WHAT WE'RE AFTER.. ON A DOUBLE DECKER LONDON BUS...probably the best Bus song ever....
Most of Bowie's Aladdin Sane was written on the back of a bus...does that count...
Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour...
Oh..Tolhurst who started this thread dismissed DOUBLE DECKERS..........................................
You can't do that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
..and someone else said THE HOLIES - BUS STOP...
Well...I'm on holiday...thats my excuse....
tolhurst said: (I'm discounting children's tunes like the Double Deckers and Hope and Keen's Crazy Bus (you're taking us away)).
rileydj said:
Double Deckers - Double Deckers Theme....GET ON BOARD - GET ON BOARD - GET ON BAORD WITH THE DOUBLE DECKERS..FUN AND LAUGHTER - IS WHAT WE'RE AFTER.. ON A DOUBLE DECKER LONDON BUS...probably the best Bus song ever....Β
but this will of course re-open the debate on whether a double double double decker bus actually has eight levels.
Before even considering the roles played by the bloke out of Aswad - and Corinne out of Swing Out Sister who had a tiger. (the second one a lie being spread by a Mr.Coe)
It's really, REALLY worrying that Gid started to rap this song on Wednesday night.
As for me, I remember my youthful anticipation as the last episode of "The Double Deckers" featured the cast singing in harmony "See you next week..." Hope dashed! Lies, all lies. Now I stand here waiting...
Oh..Tolhurst who started this thread dismissed DOUBLE DECKERS..........................................
You can't do that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Β
I suppose I guessed where it would lead to.
Mind you, the good news is I've stopped humming "hip shake jerk" OoooWoooOooo".
The bad news is, I'm now going "Ring the bell! (Ding Ding) Sound the horn (Parp Parp...)
And the "instrumental bit" which goes "de nur nur da da, da da, der da da..." etc...
Yes, I'm now going to look this up on YouTube. I wonder if it was in colour?
Fatima Mansions - Only Losers Take the Bus
Maybe that is why buses are no longer very rock & roll. Perhaps there would be a queue of rock stars at every bus stop, had they not been sent scuttling off to their limos, shaking their heads and muttering "if it isn't good enough for him who used to be in Microdisney..."
I am sure Half Man Half Biscuit must have something to say on the matter as well.
Robyn Hitchcock was "followed home by a 73" in DiChirico Street.
Dire Straits sang about "the conductress on the number 19" in Wild West End
R.E.M.'s E-Bow The Letter takes place on a bus.
We seem to be missing THE DADDY (Double Deckers aside of course)...
AND IF A DOUBLE DECKER BUS - KILS THE BOTH OF US.....
, in reply to message 20.
Posted by File-Under-Water (U13817253) on Saturday, 8th August 2009
I have been convinced that Radio Free Europe by REM contained the words "straight off the bus" for over 25 years.
Until I just checked on one of those lyrics sites.
"Straight off the boat".
Should have been called "Mumble" rather than "Murmur".
tolhurst said:
"Morrissey has famously been described as "him what wants to get ran over off a double decker bus"."
rileydj said:
We seem to be missing THE DADDY (Double Deckers aside of course)...
AND IF A DOUBLE DECKER BUS - KILS THE BOTH OF US.....Β
Maybe I should have given my source.
We know that this is the time of year when the youth of England migrate south west to misbehave, drink too much and, probably, sing loud songs.
Given the CAPITALS with which Marc is belting out these songs, I imagine that he, too, has travelled south west (to the coast of Cheshire) and is spending his holiday sitting on a bench on the Magazine Promenade at New Brighton drinking cans of Boddington's* and waving his walking stick, personally signed by all the members of the Durutti Column, as he karaokes out renditions of bus-themed tunes without fear or favour to all who pass by...
You know, Mr. Hawkins will surely be interested in Marc's selection of holiday hits...
*Other beers that come from places associated with the Smiths are available. You should try Salford Lads' Club Lager!
While the bus is not always a perfect fit for the rock 'n roll lifestyle, it fits in just fine when you have the blues:
R.L. Burnside's "Greyhound Bus Station"
Does "Peaches" by The Stranglers count? I seem to remember Hugh singing "Oh 'merde'! There goes the charabanc'?
I seem to remember Hugh singing "Oh 'merde'! There goes the charabanc"Β
There's a radio edit of this which *retains* certain other culturally dodgy, and biologically implausible, references but Hugh goes: "Oh *no*! There goes the charabanc"
(Incidentally just noticed that my tip for top of the continental Euro pops, x-mal deutschland's "Matador", was produced by Hugh Cornwell, and that some of the other gloomy Teutonic stuff on the LP 'Viva' was recorded in Chipping Norton - sounds like something out of a Poirot novel!)
Though 'Viva' is probably called 'Opel Astra' now...
All the other pop songs about ground-based public transport I can think of now are trains - couldn't be a "Last Bus to Clarksville" or a "Bus to Kansas City" nor even the people all over the world getting on a love bus...
, in reply to message 25.
Posted by Tinsnail_Racer (U1486682) on Tuesday, 11th August 2009
ZZ Top - Waiting on a Bus (I think - could be "for" rather than "on") - it's on Fandango if I remember rightly.
Joni Mitchell's 'Twisted' (originally recorded by Annie Ross) contains a line about refusing to get on 'those double decker buses all because there was no driver on the top...'
, in reply to message 2.
Posted by NorthernLight27 (U14086993) on Tuesday, 25th August 2009
Jonathan Richman does seem to have a thing for buses - i'm sure that he sang 'The Wheels on the Bus'
The Frank And Walters sang about that 'Happy Busman'
The Radio Dept had a song called 'Bus'
The BMX Bandits sang about 'The Girl At the Bus Stop'.
I'm sure that there are loads of other songs about buses though..
, in reply to message 28.
Posted by purrmeister (U11445326) on Wednesday, 26th August 2009
This ones for Mr Rileydjs dog called Bob! Seemed appropriate
Sara Evans - Backseat of a Greyhound Bus
Has anyone mentioned
Magic Bus - the Who
, in reply to message 30.
Posted by purrmeister (U11445326) on Thursday, 27th August 2009
Peta - Gid beat you to it!
, in reply to message 31.
Posted by Cyril Benson in Penrith (U2611279) on Thursday, 27th August 2009
Killermont Street by Aztec Camera, all about Glasgow's bus station.
"There's a message for us / We can get there by bus / From Killermont Street"
A top notch album-closer.
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