Saucy Haulage Ballads cover

Saucy Haulage Ballads

Saucy Haulage Ballads inner sleeve

Jarg Armani

Jarg According to Geoff - who is also convinced that everyone will be using it now that Merseyside has invented it - all the kids describe something that's crap or snide as "Jarg".
Armani Giorgio, Italian designer who came to prominence in the 70's, convicted of corruption in the 90's. Don't believe he's any relation to Giuseppe, the sculptor.
Stranraer Scotland's gateway to Ireland, just over the English border (well, sort of) in Dumfries & Galloway. Football team have a habit of residing at the bottom end of the league.
Silverstone Quiet Northamptonshire village (now the bypass is built), invaded every now and then for a grand prix (until Bernie Ecclestone gets his way).
Canderel Low calorie sweetener. "For a healthy balanced lifestyle that tastes as good as sugar".
NTL Cable TV and internet.


Tending The Wrong Grave For 23 Years

glebe cow Cow put out to pasture on church land for the vicar. This is a reference to a Thomas Hardy (yes, him again) WW1 poem, Channel Firing
Summer Eights Rowing, university boat-race style.
Claire Rayner Jounalist, novelist, broadcaster and honorary associate of the National Secular Society. Perhaps "GMTV's agony aunt for the last 23 years" would be more descriptive. The line in the song was appropriated from a John Peel quote.


It Makes The Room Look Bigger

Benny Goodman Chicago-born jazz clarinetist (and occasional sax) and bandleader. He earned the soubriquet "King of Swing" hence the similarity between him and the buses. Legend has it that when Goodman died in 1986, his obituary on the ITN news was accompanied by a caption featuring an elderly grey bearded white man in a military uniform. When quizzed as to why this had happened, the guy in the stills library replied "I thought you said 'King of Sweden'"...
Tiptoe Through The Tulips was a hit for Tiny Tim in 1968.
Korn Vatican Broadside part 2, methinks.


On Finding The Studio Banjo

See Trumpton Riots...


Blood On The Quad

Quad The central square in the posher university colleges. Inspector Morse popped his clogs on Exeter College quad, you know.
Punting on The Backs The Backs are the famous grass-covered banks of the River Cam outside Kings's College, Cambridge.
Becks Bottled beer from Bremen.
Talvin Singh Eastend Asian virtuoso tabla man. Won the Mercury Music prize in 1999.
The ending sounds not unlike the scene at the end of the 1960's Lyndsay Anderson film If..., where Malcolm McDowell's character starts shooting the pupils and staff at his public school.


I Went To A Wedding...

Dancing Queen Abba.
Shoop Shoop Song or even "It's In His Kiss". Did the rounds of a series of singers before Betty Everett had the hit in 1964. Best known these days for the Cher cover, unfortunately. I'm told the best version (from the early 60's) was by Merry Clayton, who later went on to immortality as the backing vocalist on the Stones' "Gimme Shelter" (ta Ian).
You're The One That I Want The Rock of Travolta and Olivia Tremor Control (limited edition split single).
"So you're Brad Friedel - I'm mildly impressed" cf. Shania Twain: "So you're Brad Pitt - that don't impress me much."
Brad Friedel American goalkeeper with Blackburn Rovers, formerly of Liverpool, Columbus Crew, Galatasaray, Brondby...
William Pitt the Elder (1708-78), the 'Great Commoner', and the first Earl of Chatham. Entered politics in 1735 when he was elected as MP (Whig) for Old Sarum, the family's rotten borough. Climbed through the ranks to Secretary of State in 1756, when the Seven Years' War broke out. Sacked by George II over disagreements about the administration of the war, but then recalled as a coalition PM the following year. Fell out with the new King (George III) and the Earl of Bute, again over the war, and resigned in 1761. Made a comeback, and eventually became a coalition PM again in 1766, albeit as the last option available. Elevated to the peerage at this time, had no control of the Commons as a result, and resigned two years later due to this and his differing view on the American situation (he supported the Americans against the King). Collapsed while speaking in the House of Lords (onto the Duke of Portland) in 1778, and died as a result.
William Pitt the Younger (1759-1806), second (and favourite) son and fourth child of Pitt the Elder. A sickly but precocious child, entered Cambridge at 14 and Parliament (Tory) at 22. Became the youngest ever PM at 24, a post he held for 18 years. His fiscal reform policies went down well, but the war with France declared in 1793 marked the start of years of conflict. In 1798 the Irish revolted against his policies. His solution, the Act of Union 1800, included Catholic emancipation which was rejected by the king. Pitt resigned in protest in 1801. Returned as PM in 1804 to fight Napoleon; the latter's victory at Austerlitz in 1806 is said to have caused Pitt's death.
The Corrs The family band of Dundalk.
Thomas Tallis 16th-century (1505?-85) English composer and organist, composed predominantly for the church for both Protestant and Catholic monarchs.
Lamentations of Jeremiah by Tallis.
(John) Dowland (1563-1626) English or possibly Irish composer and lutenist, failed to get royal patronage (probably because he was a Catholic) so he worked in Denmark until debt brought him home in 1606. Appointed as one of the King's Lutes in 1612, performed at James I's funeral in 1625, and died the following year.
Ghent second biggest city in Flanders (that's Belgium to the rest of us). KAA Gent (Royal Athletics Association Gent) are the first division football team. If you remember Cedric Roussel (Coventry, Wolves), he came from the Buffalos.




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