You need an intimate knowledge of south Essex to fully appreciate this song. It's a marvellous character study of a typical happy-go-lucky lad who works hard & likes to enjoy himself with the ladies when he's done & doesn't mind spending some of his hard earned dosh on them. Ian often invented his own slang, & it's always brilliant. The filthy suggestiveness in the first verse amuses the hell out of me, he insinuates without resorting to profanity, & instead creates a poetry of innuendo. And it's good natured, there's no intent to harm, the girls are up for it as much as he is. The whistling towards the end is perfect, sums up his carefree, basically fatalistic attitude to life. As you say, another chocolate in the box.

This is a fun song which comes from the English 19th Century Music Hall tradition with the sexual innuendo and the celebration of working class life. Ian Dury's lyrics are cleverly done, if somewhat less than politically correct.

Are we keeping quiet about Plaistow Patricia guys?

“A seasoned up hyena could not have been more obscener “

The older you get the more you appreciate the genius of his lyrics

This is a real pleasure watching you trying to unpack this one. 😅 I have a little trepidation for when you get to Plaistow Patricia!

I have only just arrived at your reactions to New Boots and Panties and I love it. I bought the cassette in 1979 and now often listen to the CD. Your reaction to this song, your knowing that its lyrics are dirty but without knowing exactly what the words mean, was hilarious and had me crying with laughter. Your reactions are brilliant and it is great to find someone who things this album is fantastic. To me the Blockheads are one of the most underrated bands, with brilliant musicians. Keep up the good work, I case you hadn't guessed I am British.

One of my favourite party pieces. Prannet = idiot, mandy = mandrax, like a quaalude, Shandy = half beer half soda. All the place names are in Essex (east of London or Kent, south-east).

The meat and potatoes of this album, these wonderful character stories, defined his whole career.

One of my all time favourite artists. You are getting into some real British slang on this one. Ian is a fantastic poet with an amazing set of musicians behind him. There is a special edition of this album with him being interviewed on every track. It's well worth a listen. 'Do it yourself' is another great album to listen to.

Billericay is a new town on the edge of London, in Essex, where Eastenders were rehoused after slum clearance, and German bombs. Dickie is a bricklayer ( brickie ) made good, spending his dosh ( wages ) on good times with the ladies.

Shandy is half and half beer and soda (usually lemonade but sometimes ginger beer). A mandy was a non-barbiturate sedative (diazepam?).

A Mandy, is a slang name for Mandrax a brand name for Quaaludes a sedative that reduces inhibitions , shandy is a mix of beer and lemonade.

Candy Floss = Cotton Candy Shandy is Beer and lemonade (7up)

The real beauty of this song is the creative rhyming which presents absurd imagery thereby creating some of funniest lyrics ever written. Shandy is half a beer and half a soda. Mandy is a drug that gets you high. Bandy is open legs.

A piece of music hall entertainment for modern times. Musically polished, deceptively casual, we are scandalised but irresistibly amused by the persona of a cheeky chappie who takes his pleasure seriously. His tactics are not always acceptable, but largely these are activities involving consenting adults.

I'm a south London boy, from about that time. Saw them at 'Rock 'n' Royal' Red Ken's (look him up) well laid on excuse for avoiding the marriage of the (Now King) Charles and Dianna. A Great Free outdoor gig. Ian etc were booed until it was explained they were playing for real later (I think Hammersmith). but what a great band and what a memory!!! The playfulness of real British punk comes through, but it is never without teeth. We need those teeth more than ever today, and also the humour. Headlining were Spirit. Good band, good music. Overall a great time.

Draw a line between punk and music hall, and you will find Ian Dury. Unique, and hilarious (even if you need to know about Essex and the local slang to get a lot of this one). Pure gold. Billericay and the other places mentioned in the song are to the east of London near the north bank of the Thames Estuary. And Essex has a (stereotyped) reputation in the UK similar to New Jersey in the US - low-class, yobby, and sleazy.

A Mandy was a relaxant ( a well used mild drug popular in the 60/70s ) ribena is a British blackcurrant concentrated drink - in this context is just slang for ( well you can guess? 😂)The isle of Thanet is in the north east part of the county of Kent - most of his songs are tongue in cheek and with plenty of British slang terms mostly local to the county of Essex ( which is where the town of billericky is ) and I believe where he hailed from or at least near ?

Shandy is beer and lemonade, its what you drink if you don't want to get drunk

shandy - lemonade with a little bit of beer, Mandy - mandrax, a recreational sedative drug, bandy - exactly what would happen on a mix of brandy and mandy!

Ribena is a blackcurrant cordial in the U.K. used as a mixer with dark rum and often added to lager to give it a fruity taste

Great reaction, the lyrics are funny as hell and your breakdown of the lyrics is as funny JP ,this album keeps delivering , definitely some harder hitting lyrics to come on this one , great channel jp

"Sex & Drugs & Rock&Roll" . She said I'll give you a 'quicky'' as we took a stroll. I am feeling sickly, so no my dear, no, no! But if lead returns to 'Dickie', Kate, I'll give your Bush a pole! Pardon the crude display, but it's inspired by Ian & Dickie of Billericay. And hey, "Give Peace a Chance" today.

Brilliant reaction

His band the blockheads are superb .

Worth it for the look on your face, as always.

Best opening line ever😂😂

used to drink inthe pubs in Billericay .........which is near Basildon

Love this album and Ian Dury ♥. New Boots and Panties is just fab. Bought it way back when, just before Mum and I met for coffee. During coffee we listened to some of this and I wished I'd listened to it beforehand because, as you might expect, she was shocked!! Personally I thought it was hilarious 😂. Ian Dury always makes me smile. He's so original and fun.

Fantastic that you are also doing Ian Dury and the Blockheads- will you tackle Hit me with your Rhythm Stick

Ian was from West London, he loved a sprinkle of rhyming slang and never over did it. Billericay's on the East side which is where the pure cockney's are. For more cockney fun then check out Chas and Dave, Rabbit was their biggest hit.

up her rum and ribena! that will stay with me forever

'I got right up between 'er, Rum and 'er Ribena'

Shame he's gone. Absolute legend.

Yay! Was hoping you'd keep going with Ian.

Ian Dury had his moments and his band were quite accomplished. Hi best track were Hit Me With Your Rythm Stick, Ain't half been some clever bastards, Reasons to be cheerful Part 3

Lyrics include lots of proper nouns - real place names in Essex - of which Billericay is but one. Shandy is 50% beer and 50% lemonade. I'm told that "mandy" is slang for the recreational drug MDMA (Ecstasy) - can't confirm. The "fruit machine" reference is to an old fashioned (pre circa 1970) arcade/pub soft gambling device which had an upright handle on one side, which the player would pull to cause a set of fruit-decorated wheels to spin and arbitrarily stop in a winning or (more often) losing combination of lemons, strawberries, grapes, whatever.

Carnival atmosphere indeed. Tho (I think) this form of music is called skiffle across the pond.

One of my favourite Blockheads songs Full of cockney slang and innuendoes.

I lived a few miles from there. Brentwood.

Great to see you reacting to this album especially as the lyrics are so English and quirky! I particularly like this track because I went to school in Burnham-on-Crouch but I don't recall any posh birds (rich girls) there!

Ian Dury. AKA the Bard of Upminster. A proper Essex boy.

What a fantastic album, man and band! I presume you're doing the album reactions beginning to end? Keep it up mate

Forget hersheys, UK Cadbury chocolate. Great review , very tricky I should think . 😃

Take a listen to the Toy Dolls especially Olga I cannot. I think you will totally enjoy.

Definitely a music hall influenced song. Others in the comments have explained the slang better than I could. I prefer the tracks that display more of the Blockheads' fine musicianship.

Thank you, AJAX spray & wipe!!

Great. Shandy is a child beer with very little alcohol. So he really must do his best to get her happy

Everytime I hear songs of this alternative novelty nature i refer to my Genesis Whodunnit Gauge and ask myself is it Fun? Yes it is. Let's Do some Randy JP. Pants. Alternatively, do My Life is Good, because every Randy Newman song sounds the same and is a novelty. X

Excellent take on it, and your spot on, nice one

Great stuff JP. This is an ace album. 'Clever Trevor' I think is next, my personal favourite. Ian and the boys are at their best.

You did …..Very well! Priceless

Toe Rag was an insult to a docker at Millwall, rags were in their boots to stop grain entering them , and years later it became an insult from north of the thames to the south , probably from the West Ham Area

the lp is up there with the sex pistols and the clash

east end of london music

Dark track blackmail man! Wild music!

Unique talent; the ultimate street poet. How many of the Brit references did you understand? 😂

Hit me with your rhythm stick.. hit me.. hit me ! 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Billericay Dicky is an East End lad made good. Hard to.understand if unfamiliar with Cockney culture

A mandy now is a form of MDMA, or just E...ecstacy, tho back in the day quaaludes were sometimes referred to as Mandy's. Least ways in my degenerate circle.

Jolly jaunts indeed! Bit of a throwback in terms of the humour.

Hilariously obscene if you understand the lingo . This one is really for the text, but the backing fits perfectly if you know the culture N, Thames Essex,..

Have you done "Blockheads" yet ?

When my Dad heard this , he said it was Pornagraphic!

My favourite tune from Mr. Dury... Amazing lyrics.

You have to be British to understand it I guess, but keep trying, one of the great albums, fab musicians, go for it, enjoy !

It seems that lyrics were different on the US pressing. Here in Britain we didn't have the word 'effing' but something more direct.

The title rhymes. Billericay, with Dickie. So, not BilleriCAY, but BilleriKEE

Billericay is about 8 miles from me in Essex , its quite a posh are of Essex , Norman Whatt Roy and John Turnbull (Bass and Guitar ) were in Graham Maitland my friends band Glencoe , and although they only did 2 albums imhi i think they were a better band

sweet gean vinsent

Try Billy Brag A13

Spray N Wipe commercials in Australia across the late 80s and beyond ripped off this song mercilessly. I always wondered if it was done legally or not: Here’s a sample of an ad: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/d5OcmKiHksyvkWg.html

🤣

Not a popular album when it came out. Loved the whole album

Yes! And then you might want a three minute gizzard full of groovy lizards, all about how *Hate Dancin* kzfaq.info/get/bejne/gLh2a7Gc1JepdI0.html (A nice hate song, again. And it's only three minutes long.)

Funny, but not very good. Not his better song.

Please please please some Supertramp , Crime of the Century !