London Lady

Album: Rattus Norvegicus (1977)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "London Lady" is one of The Stranglers' earliest and most controversial songs, serving as the B-side to their debut single "(Get A) Grip (On Yourself)," released in January 1977. The track exemplifies the band's provocative approach that would make them one of punk's most divisive acts.
  • The song became infamous for its supposed inspiration: a thoroughly forgettable fling with Melody Maker journalist Caroline Coon, one of the punk movement's key chroniclers. But bassist Jean Jacques Burnel told Mojo magazine the song is about "a few women, not one particular woman," before slyly noting that Coon was "an aficionado of the Pistols" anyway, and therefore firmly on the enemy side.
  • "London Lady" helped cement The Stranglers' reputation for misogynistic lyrics, with feminist activists calling them out even as the band's popularity surged. It wouldn't be the last time their songs sparked outrage; see also the cheerfully sleazy "Peaches" or the downright sinister "Sometimes."
  • Where "Grip" strutted along with a certain swagger, "London Lady" charged ahead at a faster clip, all built on Jean-Jacques Burnel's bass lines and Dave Greenfield's keyboards. This wasn't just shouting over three chords: The Stranglers actually understood things like tuning and keys, which in the 1977 punk scene was practically showing off.
  • "London Lady" was recorded in December 1976 at T.W. Studios in Fulham and produced by Martin Rushent. It was later included on their debut album, Rattus Norvegicus, which became one of the highest-selling albums of the punk era in Britain, eventually achieving Platinum status.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Christmas Songs

Christmas SongsFact or Fiction

Rudolf, Bob Dylan and the Singing Dogs all show up in this Fact or Fiction for seasonal favorites.

Dean Pitchford

Dean PitchfordSongwriter Interviews

Dean wrote the screenplay and lyrics to all the songs in Footloose. His other hits include "Fame" and "All The Man That I Need."

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)Songwriter Interviews

Mike Rutherford talks about the "Silent Running" storyline and "Land Of Confusion" in the age of Trump.

Director Nick Morris ("The Final Countdown")

Director Nick Morris ("The Final Countdown")Song Writing

Nick made some of the biggest videos on MTV, including "The Final Countdown," "Heaven" and "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)."

Steve Morse of Deep Purple

Steve Morse of Deep PurpleSongwriter Interviews

Deep Purple's guitarist since 1994, Steve talks about writing songs with the band and how he puts his own spin on "Smoke On The Water."

Movie Stars In Music Videos

Movie Stars In Music VideosSong Writing

Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, Mila Kunis and John Malkovich are just a few of the film stars who have moonlighted in music videos.