Commentary

Did you get the riff? I pinched it from ‘Valleri’ by The Monkees. It came out well, that song, better than I thought. What we did was, we used all the ’70s effects, Wah-Wah and all that. Wah-Wah pedals are great, when I play guitar with them it sounds great, whatever you play. You can see how all these people got away with it in the ’60s and ’70s.

I typed out ‘Barmy’ like it was a big deal, there are a lot more lines than I actually used, a lot more choruses. When we recorded it I was really sick, dead ill, I was on antibiotics. I had a really bad chest from smoking and not eating properly and it looked like I was going to have to go into hospital. When we did ‘Barmy’ you could hear it in my voice, this rattle of phlegm.

But it sounds good, it sounds better than if I’d done it straight.

Mark. E. Smith, interviewed by Edwin Pouncey. Source: Pouncey (1985, pp.6-7).

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Credited solely to Mark E. Smith, “Barmy” is a relatively obscure but well-regarded song. Its live debut was at Hammersmith Town Hall on 7 March 1985, and its first appearance on record was on a US-only five-track 12″ compilation put out by PVC Records in June 1985 (PVC 5909).

According to Steve Pringle (2022, p.166), “the only mild criticism you might level at ‘Barmy’ is that it very slightly outstays its welcome.” The song’s debt to The Monkees’ 1968 single, “Valleri“, is well known (see Ford, 2003, p.146; Mackay, 2018, p.76; Pringle, 2022, p.166), and unapologetically acknowledged by Mark E. Smith (see Pouncey, 1985).

Uniquely, Dave Thompson writes that “Barmy” borrows its riff “from a distorted stab at the Stones’ ‘Satisfaction’” (2003, p.82)!

Versions

Footnotes

1. A “creamery“, according to the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, is either a shop selling dairy products: milk, cream, butter, etc., or a butter processing factory. The phrase “England’s greenery” is much more common, and so “greenery” would probably be expected here by many listeners instead of “creamery”, which gives the opening words of the lyric a surprising edge. ↩︎
2. “Saxony” can refer to a region of Germany, or to the homeland of the Saxons during the Middle Ages. In relation to Germany, it can refer to the medieval Duchy of Saxony, the Kingdom of Saxony (1806 – 1918) or the contemporary (post-1918) Free State of Saxony. The Free State was part of the Weimar Republic, was occupied by the Soviet Union after the Second World War, and was one of the five “new states” (formerly part of Germany Democratic Republic, i.e. East Germany) that were merged into the reunified Federal Republic of Germany in 1990. The State capital is Dresden, but the most populous city is Leipzig.
   
   There is also “Saxony Wool”, which can mean either the wool itself or products made from it (e.g. carpets or cloth).
   
   “Dwelling on” Saxony could then perhaps either mean being preoccupied by thoughts of Saxony the place (or its people), or living somewhere carpeted with Saxony Wool carpets.
   
   It is not known what Mark E. Smith had in mind. ↩︎
3. It is not known for certain whether the song’s narrative voice is that of Mark E. Smith or a character (probably the latter). If it is MES, his birthday was 5th March; but there is nothing significant known about that date in relation to anything mentioned in the lyrics. On the other hand, MES was born in 1957, the same year as the release of Joseph Pevney’s Istanbul, starring Errol Flynn. ↩︎
4. Alternatively, “Hungary“, which would fit geopolitically but isn’t quite what it sounds like or what appears on the draft lyric sheet. ↩︎
5. It was previously thought that this line concluded with “pension for the Jews”, but this is certainly incorrect. ↩︎
6. A sign of disrespect. “The Company” could refer to a military unit, or a business organisation, and is also the nickname of the CIA. Given the apparent themes of the song, a military meaning is probably intended. ↩︎
7. A laburnum is a type of deciduous tree – part of the pea family – with yellow flowers (hence it is also known as “golden chain”). Most parts of the tree are poisonous if ingested and can be fatal in high enough doses; the seeds are a particular danger to curious children. ↩︎

Sources / Links

• The Annotated Fall: “Barmy” [Archived]
• Ford, Simon (2003). Hip Priest: the story of Mark E Smith and The Fall. London: Quartet Books.
• Mackay, Tommy (2018). 40 Odd Years of The Fall. Place of publication unknown: Greg Moodie.
• Pouncey, Edwin (1985). “Creek Show”, in Sounds, 28 September, pp.6-7.
• Pringle, Steve (2022). You Must Get Them All: The Fall on Record. [paperback edition]. Pontefract: Route Publishing Ltd. [Online store]
• Thompson, Dave (2003). A User’s Guide to the Fall. London: Helter-Skelter Publishing.
• The Track Record: “Barmy”
• Wikipedia: “Valleri”