Let's see ... something zippy and not too complicated to get things going this week. The Jam's "That's Entertainment" fits nicely I think. The song is "a snapshot of England Paul Weller was seeing and hearing at the time." I have to admit I never truly appreciated The Jam, and I didn't encounter Paul Weller until his Style Council days. The way my friends raved about them (especially the ones from England) I always felt I was missing out on something.

Here's a quote from Rolling Stones on the song:

The Jam had a long run of U.K. hits with their mod guitar flash -- but they were too defiantly British for U.S. success. The lads hit hardest with this acoustic lament, with Weller brooding over the heartaches of everyday working-class life. His songwriting technique? "Coming home pissed from the pub and writing 'That's Entertainment' in ten minutes."

Hmmm ... well come to think of it maybe I should have gone with "A Town Called Malice." Oh well, enjoy!

"A police car and a screaming siren
Pneumatic drill and ripped up concrete
A baby wailing, stray dog howling
The screech of brakes and lamp light blinking

That's entertainment, that's entertainment

The smash of glass and the rumble of boots
An electric train and a ripped up phone booth
Paint splatters walls and the cry of a tomcat
Lights going out and a kick in the balls

I say that's entertainment, that's entertainment-Ahh! (la la la)

Days of speed and slow time Mondays
Pissing down with rain on a boring Wednesday
Watching the news and not eating your tea
A freezing cold flat, and damp on the walls

I say that's entertainment, that's entertainment

Waking up at 6am on a cool warm morning
Opening the windows and breathing in petrol
An amateur band rehearsing in a nearby yard
Watching the telly and thinking about your holidays

That's entertainment, that's entertainment-Ahh! (la la la)

Waking up from bad dreams and smoking cigarettes
Cuddling a warm girl and smelling stale perfume
A hot summer's day and sticky black tarmac
Feeding ducks in the park and wishing you were far away

That's entertainment, that's entertainment

Two lovers kissing amongst the scream of midnight
Two lovers missing the tranquility of solitude
Getting a cab and travelling on buses
Reading the grafitti about slashed seat affairs

I say that's entertainment, that's entertainment-Ahh! (la la la)"

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Published: (2005-05-31 16:17:42.0)