You're absolutely correct. Ian was referring to himself. A brilliant artist!

Ian Dury totally understood his own problems he was able express himself through art so no one could have a go because he didn't take himself to seriously. A lot of disabled people saw alot of hope because of Ian Dury

Ian was simply a genius...Light years ahead of his time.God bless him.

He called non disabled people, walky talkies, he was a legend. Spasticus was a take on Spartacus, where they all stood up and said "I'm Spartacus!!"

He definitely was refering to himself and his physical condition which was caused by polio. The song was released in 1981 as a protest against the Internation Year of Disabled Persons. He spoke about the song in various interviews, and got to perform (mime) the song on Countdown.

Ian Dury was asked to release a song for "International Year of the Disabled". He found the whole concept of this patronizing, so he released this song as a protest.

The Blockheads were, of course, one of THE great backing bands.

I saw Ian Dury at the Claudelands Ballroom in Brisbane Australia 28 November 1981 who bery proudly entered the stage by being carried on by two helpers who hung him on the microphone stand with a really huge grin on his face, he didn't give a sh*t about his condition and gave us all a night unforgettable full on fun and music poetry!! - we all loved him completely and he the audience back and said so!! I would do it again

Ian and John Cooper Clarke both had amazing Backing bands.

It's takes a brave reaction channel to cover this one! I can only imagine the number of react channels who started this, got as far as the intro and went "Nope. Can't do this one, instant demonetisation at the very least!" Of course, they featured this song at the opening ceremony of the London Paralympic Games in 2012! This song was also aimed at bad allies, the "aww the poor lad" sympathisers who decide to have a Year of the -Handicapped- Disabled and overcorrect for their latent bigotry. Also, at the time of this song's release, SCOPE, the UK charity for those with cerebral palsy, was actually called the Spastics Society. The name was changed after spastic becane a slur as serious as retard.

I was lucky enough to see Ian dury three times in London, where I was unlucky was from the age of 17 till I was about 35 we used to spend our weekends traveling around London watching live music, usually pub bands on two occasions we were going to see a group and passed signs saying that kilburn and the high roads were performing and we just walked straight passed. There few musical artists I've seen that stay after the concert to meet people, desmond dekker, stave marriot and Richie havens Who stood in the pouring rain for about two hours letting people take photos and signing autographs, the controversy that spasticus caused at the time was huge, Dury took the idea from the 1960 Stanley kubrick film spartacus. What most critics didn't seem to get into their grey matter was that Ian Dury thought along line as just because you're disabled doesn't mean you should be forgotten about or pushed to the back. I only healdr the song played on the radio once and it was after 9 o'clock on a phone in show. Some years after Ian durys death a version of it was sung on the opening of the London paralympics in 2012

Ian was asked by the Spastic Society to write a song promoting the charity and came up with this. The charity were not best pleased!

It was performed at the 2012 Paralympics: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/iK9pdKxnu6fNnY0.html He's also poking some barbs at those "normal" people who condescendingly think they "know what's best" for people with disabilities. Either from misguided "Good Intentions" or simple greed.

HUGE track back in the day on the underground club scene.

This song was sponsored by a Disability Charity for their awareness day. They hated it. I love it. 'I widdle when I piddle cos my middle is a riddle' genius,

There's a great scene at the 2012 paraolympics of all the athletes singing this ☺️

A very good song with a real message. Probably would not get played now.

Ian Dury had these problems as I do so he and we had free reign..I love Ian xxx

This song was banned by the BBC as it was seemed to be offensive. Ian replied saying 'how can it be offensive when I'm disabled, it's a war cry an anthem to all us raspberries'. 1981 was the 'year' of the disabled, Ian flew into a rage saying that the next year we will all ok. Just being pedantic for a moment, this song only featured Chaz Jankel from the Blockheads, it also featured Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare from the Wailers.

Ian meant offence, to the people of the UN who commissioned the song as an anthem for 'International Year of the Disabled'. He thought it was offensive to suggest the problems of the disabled could be solved by a token 'year'. Also, this was performed in the opening ceremony of the London 2012 with a cast of disabled performers and a guest appearance from Stephen Hawking. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/iK9pdKxnu6fNnY0.html

This was played as the main song at the opening of the London paralympic Games. It is NOT offensive in any way.

Someone's pulling your leg about "Reasons To Be Cheerful" having three parts (though to be fair, Ian Dury started that joke!). There's just the one, the title is "Reasons To Be Cheerful, Part Three" but there's no part one or two.

Lots to say about this song. However Ian wrote as an anti anthem. when it 'The year of the disabled'. Ian was outraged and said what about following years.. The BBC took it the wrong way and sort of banned it. At the 2012 Para Olympic games 'Spasticus' was played and now it has become a war cry anthem. As i said Ian has said a lot about this song of his and it is better to hear it in his own words. He also wrote an anti war song 'Ban the bomb' and an anti Nursery rhyme song called 'F. off Noddy' Plus many other songs that got banned even his own record lable refused to record some. Like the one about Billy Butlin and a very expletive song called 'Duff em up and do em over boogie woogie' And we all know about Plaistow Patricia....

Reasons to be Cheerful Part 3 is the whole song. There are no ther parts. Just Ian Dury playing with us. We can imagine a whole lot more reasons to be put in our own parts 1 and 2.

Don't worry about causing offence. Offence is rarely given, however it is always taken.

Ian contracted Polio as a child… he was singing about his own disability and wasn’t bothered if it upset anybody…. whether that medical term is still in use, I don’t know

I think it was Ian Dury & The Seven Seas Players here, not The Blockheads anymore. It was Ian Dury, Chas Jankel and the reggae production duo Sly & Robbie and couple others maybe

Specticus artisticus is what the kids called him when he was a kid…. He is disabled due to polio,

Ian had Polio as a youngster, had anyone else done the track it could have been seen as offensive, but not from Ian, gotta love the "I'm Spartacus" reference towards the end! I've mentioned it before but please do a 'Wake up and make love with me' reaction.

Thanks for reacting to this! It is a very special song because disability wasn't openly talked about back then unless you or a loved one were affected. Songs like this were risky because if you didn't know anything about the artist or the back story they could be misinterpreted! Another brilliant song from the same time was 'White noise' by Stiff little fingers. It is an extremely powerful anti-racist song but sung from the perspective of a racist for the first two verses before it cleverley switches. Sadly the intent, subtlelty and context of such songs are easily missed.

Always sounded like Spasticus Artisticus to me. Which would be more applicable to Ian's situation.

He had the idea last few lyrics from the film Spartacus where when asked which roman prisioner was Spartacus they were met the reply one voice after another L,m Spartacus !

love this song

There is only Part 3 of "Reasons To Be Cheerful" ... 😉

He had a certain vulnerability to him in this song I think, especially at the times when his voice strained during the chorus.

Two pounds of Funk in a one pound bag!

Could you review Ian Dury's "There ain't half been some clever bastards" please?

How about some Joy Division? Perhaps Novely

Ian Dury's career was nearing its commercial downturn at this point, and the controversy surrounding this track didn't help. I couldn't get past the lyrics at the time, and it sounds more confrontational and angry than joyous to me.

So many good songs from Ian Dury and the Blockheads, why on earth would you choose to react to this one? Curious.

Ian absolutely hatedthis track. He hated signing it. Please if anyone is going to listen to any of his music , start with the album , new boots and panties

Not poking fun, making folk aware in a punk attitude not making light at all, angry vocals?!