Randy Scouse Git

Album: Headquarters (1967)
Charted: 2
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  • She's a wonderful lady and she's mine, all mine
    And there doesn't seem a way that she won't come and lose my mind
    It's too easy humming songs to a girl in a yellow dress
    It's been a long time since the party and the room is in a mess

    The four kings of emi are sitting stately on the floor
    There are birds out on the sidewalk and a valet at the door
    He reminds me of a penguin with few and plastered hair
    There's talcum powder on the letter and the birthday boy is there

    Why don't you cut your hair?
    Why don't you live up there?
    Why don't you do what I do, see what I feel when I care?

    Now they've darkened all the windows and the seats are naugh-a-hyde
    I've been waiting for an hour
    I can't find a place to hide
    The being known as wonder girl
    Is speaking, I believe
    It's not easy trying to tell her
    That I shortly have to leave

    Why don't you be like me?
    Why don't you stop and see?
    Why don't you hate who I hate,
    Kill who I kill to be free?

    Why don't you cut your hair?
    Why don't you live up there?
    Why don't you do what I do,
    See what I feel when I care?

    Why don't you be like me? (she's a wonderful lady)
    Why don't you stop and see? (and she's mine, all mine)
    Why don't you hate who I hate, (and there doesn't seem a way)
    Kill who I kill to be free? (that she won't come and lose my mind)
    Why don't you cut your hair? (it's too easy humming songs)
    Why don't you live up there? (to a girl in a yellow dress)
    Why don't you do what I do, (it's been a long time since the party)
    See what I feel when I care? (and the room is in a mess) Writer/s: MICKY DOLENZ
    Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 32

  • Old Yeller from OntarioI doubt that the "Scouse" in the song, is a reference to Davy Jones, as some have suggested. Davy Jones is from Manchester, not Liverpool. Also Davy Jones didn't break up the band. I do know that Mike Nesmith was married with children, and really hated touring... Davy Jones was also Mickey Dolenz Best Man at Mickey's second wedding. They were friends. I don't think Mickey would write about Davy in that way. As for Davy not being a musician, not true, he wasn't a half bad drummer, and he was a good vocalist too! Mickey DID know what he was writing about, as you would know if you deciphered the lyrics. I LOVE this song, as Mickey goes from almost daintily singing to outright manic ranting, and back again to the calm vocals. If you watch the music video, you see Davy drop the drum sticks, Peter collapse on the keyboards, which you can hear, Mike hits the string of his guitar in an odd way, and Mickey...starts up pounding on his drum, again. I also love the story behind this song. One of their best I think!
  • Esskayess from Dallas, TxWhat a travesty that no single from "Headquarters" was released in America. The original plan was to include the outstanding song "All of Your Toys" (found on YouTube and many of the expanded releases from Rhino Records) on the album and release that, but Screen Gems vetoed it when they learned that it was written by someone they did not have a contract with. I've no doubt that song would have become a sixties classic, but now it's only remembered by hardcore fans.

    Other songs worthy of single release that WERE on the album were "Shades of Gray" (my personal favorite of theirs) and "For Pete's Sake," which was used in the end credits of their 2nd season of the TV show.
  • John from Ontario, Ca"Birds out on the sidewalk" is referring to all the female fans that would always show up wherever The Beatles were (in this case The Speakeasy where the party was held.) "Bird" was British slang for young woman at the time. Paul in particular often used to take a few minutes to go chat with them, they were always good to their fans.
  • Curt from Pa UsaThis is in reply to post below from KC-Sanpete, Ut. He mentions a super group called the Hollywood Vampires that he says was started by John Lennon and Micky Dolenz. This was not a band though. It was a drinking club started by Alice Cooper that included many top name rock stars like Lennon, Ringo, Keith Moon, Nillson and even Jim Morrison. Here is a link,http://www.vice.com/read/alice-coopers-dead-drunk-friends
  • Randy from Erlanger, KyCORRECTION on Da Bill's comment here: "Git" is a disparaging term for gentleman. It also appears in the Beatles song "I'm So Tired" in the line "I'll have another cigarette, and curse Sir Walter, he was such a stupid git"

    - Da Bill, Chicaga, IL

    It's "get", and not "git."

    The word "get" as used in the song I'm So Tired is a well-known term as a quite mild insult that is still commonly used on Merseyside. Lennon is cursing Sir Walter Raleigh (who is credited with introducing tobacco to Britain from America in the 16th century) for indirectly getting him hooked on cigarettes. (thanks, Steve - Liverpool, United States)
  • Vyv from Bristol, United KingdomA couple of bits of clarification regarding previous posts:

    Davy Jones is from Manchester.

    Scouse is indeed the term for Liverpudlians, but is also a type of lamb stew that is very popular on Merseyside. In the song it definitely refers to a Liverpudlian.

    "Git" is actually a diminutive of the word "illegitimate", so means, "bastard".
  • Charles Hollingswort from Leeds, AlTo Liz in New York:Yes,the British comedy "'Til Death Do Us Part." is the one on which "All In The Family" is based.
  • Da Bill from Chicaga, Il"Git" is a disparaging term for gentleman. It also appears in the Beatles song "I'm So Tired" in the line "I'll have another cigarette, and curse Sir Walter, he was such a stupid git"
  • Claire from Melbourne, AustraliaRight... we know where Micky got the phrase from (Alf Garnett - curiously, if Garnett could get away with this on British TV, why couldn't the Monkees in the title of their song? Curious paradox of censorship... but I digress!).
    Who WAS the original "Randy Scouse Git"? One gets the impression that the party in question got kind of out of hand. Was it:
    (a) John Lennon, who might have been making inappropriate advances to Micky's girlfriend?
    Or was it:
    (b) Davy Jones (not sure where he's from in England exactly, but the Monkees could have hazy on the finer points of English geography), who may or may not have been doing the same thing?
    And, if the latter, was it Davy who caused the eventual breakup of the Monkees?
    Maybe Micky picked up the phrase and used it, accurately, but hurtfully, on Davy...
    To quote the Beatles: "won't you please, please, tell me?" lol
  • Cwlwch from Liverpool, United KingdomGit does not translate as jerk or idiot.
    A better trsanslation is Sod, Swine, Unsavoury Character.
    For other Scouse translation try
    http://www.whoohoo.co.uk/scouse-translator.asp
  • Patrick from Red Bank, NjThe Beatles threw a party for the Monkees. After that heavy night of fun Mickey woke the next day to Alf Garnett shouting "Randy, Scouse, Git" on the television. Mickey thought it would be a cool name - hence the name.

    Prior to it's U.K. release the record company informed Mickey of the meaning behind the title and suggested he give them an 'alternate title' - hence the U.K. release name of the title.

    Mickey apologised - all with fun - to Liverpool radio host Michael Wilkins of City Talk radio in 2008 for his use of the phrase... he had more than a few friends of his who were Scousers.
  • Kc from Sanpete, UtWOW ok the only one close was Richard, Lansing, MI
    the 4 kings of EMI are the Beatles...duh, and the birds out on the sidewalk...uh The Birds...duh again. why don't you cut your hair? ya that doesn't automatically remind you of John Lennon???? it was his birthday party after all! he and mikki were good friends (thus why they started the super group the Hollywood Vampires)and if you have seen any pics of them at that time you would know they had long hair and were always being harassed.
    its a reference to rebellion and being himself. having parties and getting with girls.
  • Linc from Beaumont, TxIf you notice, Davy, who is not a drummer - drums in an oddly machanical way - evry similar to Ringo Starr's drumming on Sgt. Pepper.
  • Ted from Phoenix, AzIn the U.S., this song was one of two songs (the other being "Shades of Gray") from the Headquarters album that were played on top-40 radio in Los Angeles where I was growing up. It's quite a piece, and if you didn't know about the piano lick at the end and you were a disc jockey, you would segue to the next song as the drum roll was fading out.
  • Jennifer Harris from Grand Blanc, MiI thought it was about a Birthday party.It's about this horny jerk hiding from his fans.
  • Allen from Chicago, IlI like how at the end you can hear the sticks just being dropped onto the drum
  • Marty from Naugatuck, CtAre you so young you don't remember naugahyde? Wow...the most fake (vinyl coated plastic) looking "leather" substitute I have ever seen! Hot, fake, noisy...
  • Linc from Beaumont, TxI wouldn't go so far to say Mickey didn't know what he was writing about...I am quite certain he did, and I think you guys forget that Davey Jones was from England so I am sure he let his buddies know just what the cockney insults being shouted meant! I don't know why the Monkees' get a bad rap - sure they didn't write all their songs, but they were performers! And half of being a musician is performing!
  • Paul from London, United KingdomRandy Scouse Git was the nickname of Tony Booth's character in the tv comed Til Death Us Do Part, which Mickey Dolenz liked when he visited England.
    Tony Booth is the father of Cherie Blair. Great song written by Mickey about swinging 60s London
  • Pmcountry from Small Town, PaYet another favorite of mine and I once broke down the lyrics line by line and tried to decipher them so to speak. I think there are many parts that make sense if you read between the lines.

    -She's a wonderful lady and mine all mine -
    most likely his girlfriend at the time

    -there isn't a way she won't come and lose my mind-
    seduce him

    -birds out on the sidewalk-
    girls aka chicks

    -there's talcum powder on the letter-
    possibly a drug refrence

    -chorus-
    this is what adults were screaming in the 60's

    -now they've darkened all the windows
    And the seats are naugh-a-hyde-
    limo

    -I can't find a place to hide-
    being chased by fans

  • Matthew from Melbourne, AustraliaThis song proves that The Monkees had talent.
  • Guy from Woodinville, WaRichard, I think you meant "Micky defines a Randy Scouse Git as a 'horny Liverpudlian jerk'."
  • Liz from New York, NyIs "To Death Do Us Part" the BritCom upon which the American SitCom "All In The Family" was based? If so, I think it's interesting that "Randy Scouse Git" became "Meathead" when it crossed the pond.
  • Contiki from Almaty, Kazakhstanweird song. totally bazaar(i'm from Kazakhstan)
  • Chris from London, EnglandThe chorus lines are paraphrases of what Alf would say to his son-in-law in the show i.e. "Why don't you get your hair cut?" and "If it's so bad down here [London/The South], why don't you go back up there [Liverpool/The North]?"
  • Lance from Pittsburgh, PaNot sure why but no songs from the "Headquarters" album were ever released in the USA. This (RSG) wasn't bad, but "You May Just Be The One" or "You Told Me" could have gone a long way in the top 40 at that time. This album (Headquarters) was released like a week or two before the Beatles Sgt Pepper album.
  • Richard from Lansing, MiThe whole song is about random images from Micky's trip to England. The Beatles threw The Monkees a party, and Micky had met and fallen in love with 'Wonder Girl' Samantha Juste, whom he later married had daughter Ami Dolenz with then divorced.
    Micky defines a Randy Scouse Git as a 'horny Lilipudlian jerk'.
  • Dennis from Anchorage, AkThis is from the Monkees album "Headquarters." It was unique for the Monkees because they actually played all the instruments themselves (except for an occasional bass or horn player) instead of singing to tracks recorded by a studio band as they had done before. Davey Jones wasn't really a musician, just a singer, and Mickey Dolenz was more an actor than a musician, but Peter Tork and Mike Nesmith were serious musicians and had been frustrated by the way their musicality was margninalized, so this was really their chance to shine. The album sold very well, but none of the songs on it got any real airplay. Personally, I love it, but I got it as a present from my sister when I was about 7, so I may be biased. I always went crazy wondering about the lyrics to one line, which turns out to be "four kings of EMI." Nice to have that cleared up.
  • Don from Newmarket, CanadaThis song caused considerable controversy in the UK - hence Alternate Title. A very well done song. Mickey was very influenced by the Beatles.
  • Paul from Birmingham, EnglandRandy Scouse Git was the term used by Alf Garnet about his liverpudlian son in law in the sitcom To Death Do Us Part .The actor who played the randy scouse git was james booth , whose daugher is cherie blair
  • Ron from Malone, NyGreat song...even if Micky didn't know what he was writing about.
  • James from Manchester, EnglandA Scouser is someone from Liverpool, not the north of the England. I like the english translation BTW. They are "brilliant!": very good, amazing
see more comments

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