Reasons to Be Cheerful, Part 3

April 12, 2020 9:20 PM

Reasons to Be Cheerful, Part 3 is a song by Ian Dury and the Blockheads, released in the summer of 1979. It did pretty good, hitting the 3rd spot on the UK charts. It's considered to be a list song.

The song itself is a reason to be cheerful for so many reasons, not least of which are the references. Shall we peruse?

Why don't you get back into bed?
Reasons to be cheerful, part three
1, 2, 3

Summer, Buddy Holly, the working folly
Good golly, Miss Molly and boats
Hammersmith Palais, the Bolshoi Ballet
Jump back in the alley and nanny goats
Eighteen wheeler Scammells, Dominica camels
All other mammals plus equal votes
Seeing Piccadilly, Fanny Smith and Willie
Being rather silly and porridge oats
A bit of grin and bear it, a bit of come and share it
You're welcome we can spare it, yellow socks
Too short to be haughty, too nutty to be naughty
Going on forty no electric shocks
The juice of a carrot, the smile of a parrot
A little drop of claret, anything that rocks
Elvis and Scotty, the days when I ain't spotty
Sitting on a potty, curing smallpox
Reasons to be cheerful, part three (3X)
Reasons to be cheerful, one, two, three
Reasons to be cheerful, part three
Health service glasses, gigolos and brasses
Round or skinny bottoms
Take your mum to Paris, lighting up a chalice
Wee Willie Harris
Bantu Steven Biko, listening to Rico
Harpo Groucho Chico
Cheddar cheese and pickle, a Vincent motorsickle
Slap and tickle
Woody Allen, Dali, Domitrie and Pascale
Balla, balla, balla and Volare
Something nice to study, phoning up a buddy
Being in my nuddy
Saying okey-dokey, sing-a-long a Smokie
Coming out of chokie
John Coltrane's soprano, Adie Celentano
Beuno Colino
Reasons to be cheerful, part three (3X)
Yes, yes, dear, dear
Perhaps next year
Or maybe even now
In which case
Woody Allan, Dali, Domitrie and Pascale
Balla, balla, balla and Volare
Something nice to study, phoning up a buddy
Being in my nuddy
Saying okey-dokey, sing-a-long a Smokie
Coming out a chokie
John Coltrane's soprano, Adie Celentano
Beuno Colino
Reasons to be cheerful, part three
Reasons to be cheerful, part three
Reasons to be cheerful, part three
Reasons to be cheerful, one, two, three
I don't mind
I don't mind, don't mind, don't mind, don't mind

posted by ashbury (18 comments total)

Mods, I borked a bunch of links. Can you fix?
posted by ashbury at 9:25 PM on April 12, 2020 [1 favorite]

Mod note: I thiiiink I got all the obvious href mangling fixed, but give the links a second check and drop me a line at the the contact form with specifics if anything is still broken.
posted by cortex (staff) at 9:43 PM on April 12, 2020 [1 favorite]

You rock, they're all good. cortex, you have given me another reason to be cheerful, thank you!
posted by ashbury at 9:54 PM on April 12, 2020 [1 favorite]

"chokie" is actually "chokey".

Great song.
posted by awfurby at 12:07 AM on April 13, 2020 [1 favorite]

You can visit the Ian Dury Memorial Bench in Richmond Park. You used to be able to plug your headphones into the bench and listen to the song.
posted by awfurby at 12:09 AM on April 13, 2020 [7 favorites]

Jump back in the alley
Lighting up a chalice
Wee Willie Harris
Sing-a-long-a Smokie
Dimitri and Pasquale
Volare
Adie Celentano
Bonar Colleano
posted by Cardinal Fang at 12:56 AM on April 13, 2020 [3 favorites]

Here is another great Ian Dury list song England's Glory

When Britain finally fragments this gets my vote for an English national anthem. Everyone can improvise their own verse
posted by alanbee at 4:50 AM on April 13, 2020

Just reading that title got the catchy hook of the song going inside my head.
posted by rmd1023 at 5:33 AM on April 13, 2020 [1 favorite]

Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll are priorities that have served many a nation quite well.
posted by delfin at 7:23 AM on April 13, 2020 [1 favorite]

If this is a vote, Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick wins for me. But it's all good.
posted by ovvl at 10:40 AM on April 13, 2020 [4 favorites]

I'm fond of Ain't Half Been Some Clever Bastards and This Is What We Find but yeah.

Their playing is rather overshadowed by Dury's voice and lyrics but the Blockheads were/are a hell of a band too.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 1:02 PM on April 13, 2020 [2 favorites]

This Is What We Find

Home improvement expert Harold Hill of Harold Hill
Of DIY dexterity and double glazing skill
Came home to find another gentleman's kippers in the grill
So he sanded off his winkle with a Black & Decker drill
posted by Paul Slade at 3:16 PM on April 13, 2020 [4 favorites]

And

When the hope that springs eternal
Springs right up your behind

I'm easily amused.
posted by sneebler at 4:06 PM on April 13, 2020 [1 favorite]

Love this song - had never really paid that much attention to the lyrics. Thanks for this.
posted by aspersioncast at 5:20 PM on April 13, 2020

the Blockheads were/are a hell of a band too.

Norman Watt-Roy. I've never heard another bass player who sounded quite like him.
posted by Cardinal Fang at 12:43 AM on April 14, 2020

This song saved my life once. Thanks Ian.
posted by evilDoug at 12:55 AM on April 14, 2020

I saw Norman Watt-Roy playing live as part of Wilko Johnson's trio once. I've never seen a musician who seemed so intensely locked in to his own performance on stage - while also flawlessly serving the band.

Throughout the set, Watt-Roy's eyes remained focussed relentlessly on his own instrument, the sound of which seemed to fill his whole being till the gig was over. It was as if the thunder of that bass had taken on human form, and Watt-Roy himself was just what that thunder happened to look like.
posted by Paul Slade at 2:41 AM on April 14, 2020 [1 favorite]

Blockheads were the tightest band on the block. I think I'll credit the bandleader Jankel for whipping up the mix, & being smart enough to include those kooky Payne sax squonks.
posted by ovvl at 10:13 AM on April 14, 2020