Something different - and brilliant!

[dizzojay]

Have you ever had that moment that you hear a song and it completely captivates you?  You find yourself humming it all the time, and just can't get it out of your head?

Well, last week, we were sitting in the garden late one evening and listening to the folk programme on Radio 2, and they played a song called 'The Villon Song' by a group called 'Stick in the Wheel', and I had one such moment.

The song is written in 'thieves' cant' which is an old slang dialect spoken by the thieves and villains to bamboozle respectable folk, and ensure that no-one knew what they were talking about.   It's a concept that goes back hundreds of years.   Most regions have a 'cant' language, and this song is in London cant (which is also where cockney rhyming slang originated from).

The song is harsh and gritty, and goes into all the ways that a thief can make his ill-gotten gains, but gives the warning that in the end, he'll never get any good from it ... "the booze and the blowens cop the lot".  In other words, the drink and the prostitutes get it all.

There is a wonderfully grotesque and haunting video that goes with the the song to make it even more memorable.

I can totally understand how this might not be to everyone's taste, but do have a listen, I'd love to know what you think!

Go check out Stick in the Wheel too, they've got some great music!

Comments

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Reminds me of Chumbawamba.

[dizzojay.livejournal.com]

I only remember Chumbawumba for Tubthumping - which was a great song, and yes, definitely a similarity!

[kiramaru7.livejournal.com]

I liked it! :D

[dizzojay.livejournal.com]

It's great, isn't it!

[kiramaru7.livejournal.com]

Yup! *plays it again*

[zara-zee.livejournal.com]

I really enjoyed this. I went down a Thieves Cant Google rabbit hole several years ago when I was writing an AU, so I had fun seeing how much of this I could understand and the answer was...quite a bit, although not all! I then went on to listen to some of their other stuff and they're definitely my kind of thing (plus their videos are generally pretty weird and cool) so thanks for the rec! :)

[dizzojay.livejournal.com]

They are great, aren't they, very unique and original.
The thieves' cant is a fascinating world to explore. I grew up in central London among people who spoke rhyming slang naturally, but that is a very watered-down version of the original cant.

[fannishliss.livejournal.com]

that was fantastic, thanks for sharing!

As an American, I couldn't hear most of it. I need subtitles, like with Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. :)
But I definitely like the style!

I heard an interview one time with a very successful thief. He had spent years stealing from the very wealthy, he would break in an steal their jewelry when they were having big parties. He said all the millions that he had stolen went into the lifestyle, of like, flying from Florida to Maine if they wanted Lobster. So he had no wealth, because there was no way to hold onto ill-gotten gains. So they just spent it all until it was gone! Very similar to the moral of this song. :)

[dizzojay.livejournal.com]

Glad you enjoyed it; and those Lyrics are so old and hardcore, I was born in London, and I still have to really listen to follow what's being said!

What you said about that thief makes a lot of sense. How can you pay half a million pounds in cold hard cash into a bank? You've just got to spend it all!

[jj1564.livejournal.com]

Thanks for sharing this, I'm not sure I like the song (too choppy for me!) but I like the subject matter and the thieves cant is fascinating, especially to us London gals!

[dizzojay.livejournal.com]

It's so out there, I reckoned it would be a marmite song, you'd either love it or hate it :D but yes, the language is fascinating, it's really tested my memory of old London phrases!!!

[supernutjapan.livejournal.com]

I would have appreciated subtitles - it's a totally different language LOL Sounds like a cool song for a show.

[dizzojay.livejournal.com]

I come from London and some of it even stumped me - it's a very old, very obsolete dialect,