Song Lyric Sunday #17

Fortunately Jim Adams of Song Lyric Sunday Challenge gives us plenty of notice about each Sunday’s prompts. For today, I needed to think what tracks are in my record library with Days of the Week in the lyrics. There are lots of candidates but I don’t want to pick one of the more obvious candidates.

Instead, I’m going with Sunday Papers by Joe Jackson released on his debut album, Look Sharp! Written as a critique of the British press, the track features mocking lyrics and reggae inspired music. It was released as a single in the UK as the follow-up to his single, Is She Really Going Out with Him?, but did not chart. Despite this, the song generally received positive critical reception.

Joe Jackson is an English musician and singer-songwriter who having spent years studying music and playing clubs,  scored a hit with his first release, Is She Really Going Out with Him? in 1979. This was followed by a number of new wave singles before he moved to more jazz-inflected pop music and finally classical music. He is associated with the 1980s Second British Invasion of the US and spent many years living in New York before moving to Berlin. He has  recorded 19 studio albums and received 5 Grammy Award nominations.

In the lyrics to Sunday Papers, Jackson, a vocal opponent of the press, sings of the trashy and inaccurate stories printed by the papers. He recalled:

An image that came into my mind was, like, if someone just more or less lived on a diet of these kind of papers, that they might turn into a complete idiot.

Jackson later described the song as an example of the sarcastic flavour his lyrics had at the time.

On stage, Jackson would often bring out a newspaper prior to performing the song, which he would read the headlines and stories in a sarcastic manner.He would also mockingly talk about the papers in general, sardonically calling the British papers “a sophisticated standard of journalism” in one performance. As Jackson performed the song, he would gradually rip the paper he showed the audience to pieces.

If he did that back in the early1980s, what would he do and say now?

Lyrics: Sunday Papers

Mother doesn’t go out any more
Just sits at home and rolls her spastic eyes
But every weekend through the door
Come words of wisdom from the world outside

If you want to know about the bishop and the actress
If you want to know how to be a star
If you want to know about the stains on the mattress
You can read it in the Sunday papers, Sunday papers

Mother’s wheelchair stays out in the hall
Why should she go out when the TV’s on
Whatever moves beyond these walls
She’ll know the facts when Sunday comes along

If you want to know about the mad punk rockers
If you want to know how to play guitar
If you want to know about any other suckers
You can read it in the Sunday papers, read it in the Sunday papers

Sunday papers don’t ask no questions
Sunday papers don’t get no lies
Sunday papers don’t raise objections
Sunday papers ain’t got no eyes

Brother’s heading that way now I guess
He just read something made his face turn blue
Well I got nothing against the press
They wouldn’t print it if it wasn’t true

If you want to know about the gay politician
If you want to know how to drive your car
If you want to know about the new sex position
You can read it in the Sunday papers, read it in the Sunday papers

Sunday papers don’t ask no questions
Sunday papers don’t get no lies
Sunday papers don’t raise objections
Sunday papers ain’t got no eyes

Sunday papers don’t ask no questions
Sunday papers don’t get no lies
Sunday papers don’t raise objections
Sunday papers ain’t got no eyes

Read all about it, Sunday papers
Read all about it, Sunday papers
Read all about it, Sunday papers
Read all about it, Sunday papers
Read all about it, Sunday papers
Get your Sunday paper, get your Sunday paper, get your
Read all about it, Sunday papers
Get your Sunday paper, get your Sunday paper, get your
Read all about it, Sunday papers

Writer/s: David Ian Jackson
Publisher: Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

Challenge Rules

• Post the lyrics to the song of your choice, whether it fits the theme or not. If it does not fit, then please explain why you chose this song.
• Please try to include the songwriter(s) – it’s a good idea to give credit where credit is due.
• Make sure you also credit the singer/band and if you desire you can provide a link to where you found the lyrics.
• Link to the YouTube video, or pull it into your post so others can listen to the song.
• Ping back to Jim’s post or place your link in his comments section.
• Read at least one other person’s blog, so we can all share new and fantastic music and create amazing new blogging friends in the process.
• Feel free to suggest future prompts.
• Most of all, have fun and enjoy the music.