House Of Fun by Madness

Album: House Of Fun (1982)

Charted: 1

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Songfacts®:

This song is about a 16-year-old who thinks he ready to have sex - the "House of Fun" is a euphemism for a brothel house. The "box of balloons with the feather-light touch" are condoms.
Regarding the line, "This is a chemists, not a joke shop," in UK they call pharmacists chemists. >>
Suggestion credit:
Jef - San Diego, CA, for above 2
The Monty Python styled music video was filmed variously at a Camden joke shop, a Kilburn chemist and a roller coaster in Great Yarmouth. According to an interview with Suggs in Q Magazine, the band went round the roller coaster 54 times before the director was satisfied he'd got what he wanted.
Frontman Suggs recalled to The Daily Mirror September 18, 2009: "Originally it was called The Chemist Facade. Then I came up with the title and wrote the chorus, but didn't get credited! To this day I can barely mention the title onstage without wanting to throw up. It's about the embarrassment of going to a chemist's shop to buy a condom for the first time."
In an ironic twist of fate, this song about a 16-year-old boy buying condoms was the UK #1 when Pope John Paul II made his first official visit to England.

Comments: 8

Moosehead from ScPosted 6-24-23: i first heard this song on the TV show the Young Ones out fo the UK. it played at 1130 on sunday nights on MTV and they usually had a musical guest sequence. RIP silent P
Simon from ScotlandThe explanation that the song has a brothel reference is wrong. The "house of fun" refers to a shop that party items and also in general to the fact the protagonist is 16 and hence legally allowed to have sex (in the UK). You can can the lyrics and find this to be so:

I'm sorry son
But we don't stock
Party gimmicks
In this shop
Try the House of Fun
It's quicker if you run
This is a chemist
Not a jokers' shop!
Aleksandar from Zrenjanin, SerbiaI remember when Cartoon Network used this song for the Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends promo. I was much surprised.
Ian from Isle Of Wight I believe the chemist in the video is the one at the Camden end of Adelaide Road , next to Chalk Farm tube Station rather than Kilburn .
Blake from London, United KingdomWow. Never realised that the song was about stuff like that. Came sorta as a shock.
Jessica from Oxford, United Kingdommy friend didnt believe this song was about buying condoms! Now i have proof thanks =]
Louise from Newcastle, United KingdomThis made me giggle when I was old enough to understand what the song was about. A light hearted, coming of age song.
Mike from Dublin, IrelandAround the time this song was released it was made illegal in the UK for under 16s to have sex (even with each other) hence the "16 today and up for fun" and going into a chemist to buy condoms. Not so sure about the brothel reference above.

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