I'm searching for the now I'm looking for the real thing, yeah
Head through a blue haze Waiting for the musical craze We gotta taxi for Mr Nelson Taxi for Mr Nelson
Rebellious jukebox, yeah Rebellious jukebox, oh
No sounds at first came out This machine had dropped out But it played music to itself Made music for itself
Rebellious jukebox, yeah Rebellious jukebox, oh
I'm looking for the home of the real I want a happy time now
Drinkers from the slaughterhouse Weren't happy and went out Noise resounds aloud Noise resounds the lounge
Rebellious jukebox, yeah Rebellious jukebox, oh
I sidled up to a fruit machine This I was imagining Some drinkers dancing at the bar Drinkers dancing for the bar
Rebellious jukebox, yeah Rebellious jukebox, oh
I'm searching for the now I'm looking for the real thing, yeah
Commentary
< Post in progress >
Footnotes
Sources / Links
The Annotated Fall: “Rebellious Jukebox” [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.
Pringle, Steve (2022). You Must Get Them All: The Fall on Record. [paperback edition]. Pontefract: Route Publishing Ltd. [Online store]
Smith, Mark E. (1985). The Fall Lyrik & Texte Von Mark E. Smith. In Deutsch & Englisch. With Drawings by Brix. Berlin: The Lough Press. [AKA The Orange Book. Available online in The Internet Archive]
Smith, Mark E. (2008). vII. The Lough Press & AMarquisManipulationProductions. [AKA the Blue Lyrics Book]
We are artistically independent, we refuse to merely entertain. “No sounds at first came out / This machine had dropped out / But it made music to itself / Made music for itself”: We The Fall are the Rebellious Jukebox. Instead of a normal jukebox that plays what the customers want to hear, we, the Rebellious Jukebox, play only what we want, regardless of who is listening or dancing. The Fall after all often felt they were playing for themselves to a confused audience. We are celebrating this isolation. True art is made for the creator not the consumer. “Drinkers from the slaughterhouse / Weren’t happy and went out / Noise resounds aloud / Noise resounds the lounge”: The tired, working-class audience come to us looking for simple escapism but they encounter our noise instead of a pretty tune, and so they leave unhappy. Like all great artists, we make abrasive art, when you are looking for a happy time.”I’m searching for the now / I’m looking for the real thing, yeah”: We mock the trendies looking for a musical craze, while we are looking for something authentic that exists outside of art. “I sidled up to a fruit machine / This I was imagining: / Some drinkers dancing at the bar”: I’m so alienated in this pub that I have to imagine people having a good time or dancing. I feel detached, like I’m an observer of a world I don’t feel I belong to, watching people interact with their machines (jukeboxes, fruit machines) rather than to each other.
“while we are looking for something authentic that exists outside of art” was supposed to be “outside of fashion” but I made a mistake. If you can correct that I would appreciate it. I’ll be more careful with future comments so I didn’t have to bother you.
We are artistically independent, we refuse to merely entertain. “No sounds at first came out / This machine had dropped out / But it made music to itself / Made music for itself”: We The Fall are the Rebellious Jukebox. Instead of a normal jukebox that plays what the customers want to hear, we, the Rebellious Jukebox, play only what we want, regardless of who is listening or dancing. The Fall after all often felt they were playing for themselves to a confused audience. We are celebrating this isolation. True art is made for the creator not the consumer. “Drinkers from the slaughterhouse / Weren’t happy and went out / Noise resounds aloud / Noise resounds the lounge”: The tired, working-class audience come to us looking for simple escapism but they encounter our noise instead of a pretty tune, and so they leave unhappy. Like all great artists, we make abrasive art, when you are looking for a happy time.”I’m searching for the now / I’m looking for the real thing, yeah”: We mock the trendies looking for a musical craze, while we are looking for something authentic that exists outside of art. “I sidled up to a fruit machine / This I was imagining: / Some drinkers dancing at the bar”: I’m so alienated in this pub that I have to imagine people having a good time or dancing. I feel detached, like I’m an observer of a world I don’t feel I belong to, watching people interact with their machines (jukeboxes, fruit machines) rather than to each other.
“while we are looking for something authentic that exists outside of art” was supposed to be “outside of fashion” but I made a mistake. If you can correct that I would appreciate it. I’ll be more careful with future comments so I didn’t have to bother you.