Gross Chapel-British Grenadiers
Lyrics
Porterage down (1)
The dark gross chapel
He stepped streets around now
Sales person mobile
Porterage down
To dark gross chapel
He stepped streets around now
Was introduced by a woman loose-limbed, slim...
One woke up to a whitewashed ugly wall - whoosh!
Made worse by dirty postcards
Trapped in their town
They're embracing criminals in panicky hall
No temper for Fall group
I'll put you down
Porterage down
To the dark gross chapel
He stepped streets around now
Sales-person, mobile
I'll put you down
To the gross chapel
You were right said Peter
Dying for a smoke
But you shouldn't have said to the police
Jobs I do are little things
Like the chemist coming on insulted (2)
They were as fed up as I was
Waiting outside after putting blame on you
Porterage down
Ask him
I am ailing
Porterage down
(3)
Then let us fill a bumper, (4)
And drink a health to those
Who carry caps and pouches,
And wear the louped clothes. (5)
May they and their commanders
Live happy in their scaly years
Whene'er we are commanded
To storm the palisades (6)
Our leaders march with fusees, (7)
And we with hand grenades
We throw them from glacis, (8)
About the enemies' ears
Sing tow, row, row, row, row, row,
Sing tow, row, row, row, row, row,
Sing tow, row, row, row, row, row,
For the British Grenadiers
Sing tow, row, row, row, row, row,
Sing tow, row, row, row, row, row,
Sing tow, row, row, row, row, row,
For the British Grenadiers
I'll put you down. (9)
Notes
1. "Porterage" is a word that refers to what a porter does, carrying bags for people. In a military context, it is often used to describe labor that is demanded of, or often forced on, a local population by an occupying army. "Gross" is probably derived from the German "groß" which means large or great. It's possible that the words, in part, refer to a Fall gig in Germany ("They're embracing criminals in panicky hall/No temper for Fall group").
Hippie Priestess senses a possible anti-Yank theme:
According to this here website - http://www.historynet.com/
The lyrics to the Peel version differ slightly in parts, but where they do they are mostly inaudible, at least to my ears.
Junkman: "Some very interesting moments in the verses where it sounds like the band have been instructed to try and throw each other off the beat momentarily. The parts where it seems to go out of time have been described as mistakes by some, but players this seasoned wouldn't be accidentally dropping or adding beats. At the top of verse 2 the rhythm guitar hits the changes a half beat ahead for 4 bars, at the end of which Hanley throws in a note a whole beat ahead, and Wolstencroft responds by doing his next set of accents a beat behind. Then they lock back into step like nothing happened. Similar stuff at the top of verse 3."
2. In England, a "chemist" is often the equivalent of what is called a "pharmacist" in the United States, although chemists are also called "chemists."
3. The lyrics from this point on are closely adapted from the traditional marching song "British Grenadiers." A "grenadier" is a soldier who carries grenades. The song in its current form dates to the early 18th century. The original lyrics are as follows:
- Some talk of Alexander, and some of Hercules
- Of Hector and Lysander, and such great names as these.
- But of all the world's great heroes, there's none that can compare.
- With a tow, row, row, row, row, row, to the British Grenadiers.
- Those heroes of antiquity ne'er saw a cannon ball,
- Or knew the force of powder to slay their foes withal.
- But our brave boys do know it, and banish all their fears,
- Sing tow, row, row, row, row, row, for the British Grenadiers.
- Whene'er we are commanded to storm the palisades,
- Our leaders march with fusees, and we with hand grenades.
- We throw them from the glacis*, about the enemies' ears.
- Sing tow, row, row, row, row, row, the British Grenadiers.
- And when the siege is over, we to the town repair.
- The townsmen cry, "Hurrah, boys, here comes a Grenadier!
- Here come the Grenadiers, my boys, who know no doubts or fears!
- Then sing tow, row, row, row, row, row, the British Grenadiers.
- Then let us fill a bumper, and drink a health to those
- Who carry caps and pouches, and wear the louped clothes.
- May they and their commanders live happy all their years.
- With a tow, row, row, row, row, row, for the British Grenadiers."
- ^
4. It is no longer very common to use "bumper" in this way, but it refers to a very full glass of wine (by extension, "bumper" refers to anything full or replete, hence the expression, "bumper crop."). ^
5. A "loup" is a woman's mask, but this is probably just an archaic spelling of "looped," referring to lace or some such feature of a British Redcoat's uniform. ^
6. Here, "palisades" is probably being used in the obsolete sense of, according to the OED, "a strong, pointed, wooden stake fixed deeply in the ground with others in a close row, either vertical or inclined, as a defence." ^
7. A "fusee," more commonly called a "fusil," is a short musket. ^
8. An embankment in front of a fort. ^
9. A repeated offer of porterage, or something more sinister...the lyrics suggest a more complete story that we only get in snatches. This is an example of a Fall song with cryptic, yet entirely coherent, lyrics. ^
More Information
Gross Chapel-British Grenadiers: Fall Tracks A-Z
An intepretation from R. Totale on the Fall Online Forum:
This is one of the more impenetrable of Fall lyrics, necessitating knowledge of the specific incidents to which it refers to grasp it fully. I think the invocations of Grail mythology and the Chapel Perilous do inform its imagery.
But I think it's essentially creating a Red Shift scenario in which seperate events are linked by a common location, as in Bremen Nacht. The events being a military funeral following a battle, and a fight in a venue in which fans of the other group on the bill attack the Fall and their supporters.
I don't think it can refer to the Wormhoudt massacre - wrong regiments, and MES is a stickler for historical detail.
Here's a lit crit style breakdown of some of its elements.
Porterage down
The dark gross chapel
Porterage down I've always assumed to refer to the dead body of a soldier being borne by coffin-bearers into the chapel.. But following my parallel theory, it could also refer to bouncers carrying out the victim(s) of a mid-gig fight.
He stepped streets around now
Sales person mobile
Juxtaposition of a site in which some dark historical event took place, perhaps now a venue. The "Sales person mobile" suggests the present day.
Porterage down
Dark gross chapel
He stepped streets around now
Was introduced by a woman loose-limbed, slim
Either the woman introduced the dark gross chapel to MES, or she introduced the band on stage... or both.
One woke up to a whitewashed ugly wall - whoosh!
Made worse by dirty postcards
Trapped in their town
Crap hotel - typical of that encountered by a band on tour. But also... a barracks I suspect, hence "trapped in their town."
They're embracing criminals in panicky hall
No temper for Fall group
Pissed-up crowd prefer the other act to the Fall - who [the other act, that is] are presumably criminals, yobs or aggressive types. Also hint of night rallies and the beer-hall putsch.
I'll put you down
Porterage down
To the dark gross chapel
He stepped streets around now
Sales-person, mobile
I'll put you down
To the gross chapel
You were right said Peter
Dying for a smoke
But you shouldn't have said to the police
Jobs I do are little things
Like the chemist coming on insulted
They were as fed up as I was
Waiting outside after putting blame on you
Someone waiting outside seeking revenge after contretemps in venue?
Porterage down
Ask him! I am ailing
Porterage down
Then let us fill a bumper,
And drink a health to those
Who carry caps and pouches,
And wear the louped clothes.
May they and their commanders
Live happy all their years
Whene'er we are commanded
To storm the palisades
Our leaders march with fusees,
And we with hand grenades.
We throw them from the glacis,
About the enemies' ears.
Sing tow, row, row, row, row, row,
For the British Grenadiers.
Ironic tribute to military might? Or sincere perhaps given Smith's grandfather's war record. MES has always notably had respect for the lower, working-class ranks of soldier.
I'll put you down
Linking death and the military with male aggression in gigs and on the battlefield...
Bzfgt note:
Note that the connection between rock music and military aggression and even fascism, an inescapable association for any musician playing loud electric music to ecstatic crowds, has often been made in rock lyrics and imagery (David Bowie, Ramones, Pink Floyd, etc.).
Comments (67)

- 1. | 02/09/2013

- 2. | 23/11/2013
I'm hearing "Live happy in their scaly years"!

- 3. | 27/11/2013

- 4. | 15/01/2014

- 5. | 15/01/2014

- 6. | 15/01/2014

- 7. | 15/01/2014

- 8. | 16/01/2014

- 9. | 20/01/2014

- 10. | 22/01/2014

- 11. | 22/01/2014
If it really is "cratic," that isn't an English word but is a suffix, of course, wirth basically the meaning you relate above (usually means a form of gov't, like "democracy" etc.). But the Greek kratia means "power," which could possibly be closest to the meaning MES intends...so akrasia, the "tragic flaw" so well known from Aristotle's poetics (or well known to academic types anyway), means something like weakness or lack of power, but has nothing to do with class or government. So "cratic" is cryptic and would call for some figgering...I think for now having it here in the comments will suffice, but I'll break out the Peel at some point and consider it. Are you fairly sure that's what he says?

- 12. | 16/07/2016
This makes me wonder if the sequencing that puts a solemn, shadowy rendition of "GB" at the end of side one and then begins side 2 with "U.S. 80's-90's", in which MES has a mild-to-medium gripe at the long-since independent USA, is actually one of Smith's cleverest moves. This is totally ruined on the current CD edition which slaps "Living Too Late" in between the two vinyl sides.

- 13. | 19/07/2016
Anyway thanks for the comment, excellent observation, I put it above where it will be the first thing one reads about the song...

- 14. | 12/02/2017
This refers to the Gross undertakers' business, founded in Hot Springs, Arkansas in 1874. There are several mentions of the Gross Chapel. Did MES get the title from this?
The Peel Session version of this remains one of my all time favourite Fall moments.

- 15. | 21/03/2017

- 16. | 25/06/2017
The word "scaly" appears quite clearly.

- 17. | 05/10/2017
"This is one of the more impenetrable of Fall lyrics, necessitating knowledge of the specific incidents to which it refers to grasp it fully. I think the invocations of Grail mythology and the Chapel Perilous do inform its imagery.
But I think it's essentially creating a Red Shift scenario in which seperate events are linked by a common location, as in Bremen Nacht. The events being a military funeral following a battle, and a fight in a venue in which fans of the other group on the bill attack the Fall and their supporters.
I don't think it can refer to the Wormhoudt massacre - wrong regiments, and MES is a stickler for historical detail.
Here's a lit crit style breakdown of some of its elements.
Porterage down
The dark gross chapel
Porterage down I've always assumed to refer to the dead body of a soldier being borne by coffin-bearers into the chapel.. But following my parallel theory, it could also refer to bouncers carrying out the victim(s) of a mid-gig fight.
He stepped streets around now
Sales person mobile
Juxtaposition of a site in which some dark historical event took place, perhaps now a venue. The "Sales person mobile" suggests the present day
Porterage down
Dark gross chapel
He stepped streets around now
Was introduced by a woman loose-limbed, slim
Either the woman introduced the dark gross chapel to MES, or she introduced the band on stage.. or both
One woke up to a whitewashed ugly wall - whoosh!
Made worse by dirty postcards
Trapped in their town
Crap hotel - typical of that encountered by a band on tour. But also.. a barracks I suspect, hence "trapped in their town"
They're embracing criminals in panicky hall
No temper for Fall group
Pissed-up crowd prefer the other act to the Fall - who are presumably criminals, yobs or aggressive types. Also hint of night rallies and the beer-hall putsch
I'll put you down
Porterage down
To the dark gross chapel
He stepped streets around now
Sales-person, mobile
I'll put you down
To the gross chapel
You were right said Peter
Dying for a smoke
But you shouldn't have said to the police
Jobs I do are little things
Like the chemist coming on insulted
They were as fed up as I was
Waiting outside after putting blame on you
Someone waiting outside seeking revenge after contretemps in venue?
Porterage down
Ask him! I am ailing
Porterage down
Then let us fill a bumper,
And drink a health to those
Who carry caps and pouches,
And wear the louped clothes.
May they and their commanders
Live happy all their years
Whene'er we are commanded
To storm the palisades
Our leaders march with fusees,
And we with hand grenades.
We throw them from the glacis,
About the enemies' ears.
Sing tow, row, row, row, row, row,
For the British Grenadiers.
Ironic tribute to military might? Or sincere perhaps given Smith's grandfather's war record. MES has always notably had respect for the lower, working-class ranks of soldier
I'll put you down
Linking death and the military with male aggression in gigs and on the battlefield..

- 18. | 18/11/2017
...is MES really a "stickler for historical detail?""2000 dead Thai monks in SS uniforms"? etc.

- 19. | 18/11/2017

- 20. | 18/11/2017
"They're embracing criminals in panicky hall
No temper for Fall group
Pissed-up crowd prefer the other act to the Fall - who are presumably criminals, yobs or aggressive types. Also hint of night rallies and the beer-hall putsch."

- 21. | 03/03/2018

- 22. | 05/03/2018
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thefall/gross-chapel-t3978-s17.html#p2085905

- 23. | 17/03/2018

- 24. | 31/03/2018

- 25. | 14/01/2019
"One woke up to a whitewashed ugly wall - whoosh
Made worse by dirty postcard
Marked 'M Bretagne' "
The slim woman "introduced" to a member of the British Grenadiers is used sexually either against her will or not and wakes up to a whitewashed military wall.
The British Grenadiers is actually a song but according to wiki, a regiment called the Grenadiers fought the French in 1695 in the Battle of Namur. This seems to be their only victory.
Just a thought, but the slim loose limbed woman could be French...M Bretagne could be Madame Bretagne or Bretagne as in the French for Brittany.
She is subsequently dealt with by the British fixers should she bear a child, her fate unknown but glossed over by "sing tow row row..." i.e. three cheers for the British, always the good guys never do any harm"
Masterpiece of a song

- 26. | 26/01/2019
And I don't know, that's a powerful reading but the woman doesn't seem to be the subject, "was introduced by a woman"

- 27. | 26/01/2019

- 28. | 28/01/2019

- 29. | 31/01/2019

- 30. | 02/02/2019
- Place of worship
- a group of musicians, i.e. a choir or orchestra, not necessarily connected to a chapel
- newspaper or printing office, or print workers/journalists trade union branch

- 31. | 14/02/2019
Dan

- 32. | 14/02/2019

- 33. | 16/02/2019

- 34. | 16/02/2019
I think I'm onto something though. Leckie and Brix pronounce it "shapple", and in the song MES pronounces it "cha-pell", which is not how "chapel" is normally pronounced in English. So either this indicates this is German or French or something, or that it's not simply a small church. Before this I had always just assumed "gross chapel" referred to some horrible/horrific (or terrible in a ugly or vomit-inducing way; somewhere containing something nasty, or where something nasty happened) little church. Or else the name of such a church - The Gross Chapel. But now I think there's something else going on that I'm missing.

- 35. | 16/02/2019
Alternate lyric: It's "council hall" at the Festival of the Tenth Summer gig on 19 July 1986.

- 36. | 16/02/2019

- 37. | 16/02/2019

- 38. | 23/03/2019
Porterage down
The dark gross chapel
We step streets around now
Sales person mobile
Porterage down
To the dark gross chapel
Step streets around now
One look up to a whitewashed ugly wall - whoosh!
Made worse by postcards of [dead?] Grenadiers trapped in Bretagne
They’re embracing criminals in Panicky Hall
No temper, Fall group
[?] doesn’t sit on face
Bourgeois, soft lord
I'll put you down to the gross chapel
Porterage down
‘cratic chapel
“You are right” said Peter, dying for a smoke, “but you shouldn't have said to the police,
jobs I do aren’t little things”
Coming on all insulted
They were as fed up as I was
Waiting outside, putting the blame on you
Was introduced by a thing, loose-limbed, slim...
Porterage down
To the dark gross chapel
Hazchem, I a-am ailing
I’ll put you down to the dark, gross chapel
Whenever we’re commanded
To storm all palisades
Our leaders march with fusees
And we with hand grenades
We throw them from glacis,
About the enemies' ears
Sing tow, row, row, row, row, row,
Sing tow, row, row, row, row, row,
Sing tow, row, row, row, row, row,
For the British Grenadiers
Sing tow, row, row, row, row, row,
Sing tow, row, row, row, row, row,
Sing tow, row, row, row, row, row,
For the British Grenadiers
Porterage down to the dark, gross chapel
Porterage down
I’ll put you down

- 39. | 23/03/2019
00:32 Might be "goose-stepped streets"
01:47 "one look up" and I go with Bretagne, fits with pronunciation of Chap-pel, definitely Br... something
04:34 "Hazchem" - not sure about "I am ailing" but can't make out what it is
04:54 "scaly ears"
06:00 "Hazchem" again.

- 40. | 06/04/2019
I always assumed it was German, large or great. (just checked and that's exactly what I writ...)

- 41. | 06/04/2019

- 42. | 09/04/2019

- 43. | 07/06/2019
Both are unclear with woke/look but look seems more likely
I think it's just "trapped." on Peel, I'm having a hard time hearing enough to choose between "the town" and "Bretagne", I don't hear either there
urgh, I have to come back to this, it's driving me crazy

- 44. | 28/06/2019
I would look into Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle) and Charlemagne. There is Kenneth Clarke's Civilisation (1969) and Verdi's Ernani (V.Hugo - Hernani)
BBC Genome (porterage) is unique: Light P. 8 Jan 1955.
GCBG one date conversion is 1973-02-07: Sidney Lumet's The Deadly Affair (Le Carre - Call for the Dead) first shown on BBC

- 45. | 08/08/2019

- 46. | 13/09/2019
I'm going to speculate wildly, now.
I was skipping randomly through Simon Ford's book yesterday, when I came across a mention of David LaChapelle, the photographer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_LaChapelle
Ford cites him as being in Michael Clark's orbit around The Nation's Saving Grace etc.
Thing is, I cannot connect him definitely to the song, and I don't know how his name is pronounced.
But that first half of the lyric could at a stretch be interpreted as about meeting LaChapelle, or have something to do with him in some way.
Anyway, carry on, just sometimes I like to go a bit off piste.

- 47. | 13/09/2019
A sojourn in London in the early 80s brought him into the orbit of Leigh Bowery and the ballet dancer Michael Clark and left him with an abiding love of all things British

- 48. | 14/09/2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2nfzhQepQs

- 49. | 14/09/2019

- 50. | 14/09/2019

- 51. | 18/01/2020
Porterage down
Ask him
I am ailing
I'm hearing:
Porterage down
Ask him
I am Haig
As in general Haig?

- 52. | 19/01/2020

- 53. | 30/01/2020

- 54. | 01/02/2020

- 55. | 23/02/2020

- 56. | 14/03/2020

- 57. | 14/03/2020

- 58. | 15/05/2020

- 59. | 16/05/2020
But it would need to sound like "Carnegie", which to many of us it doesn't.
Just also to note that Carnegie is mainly known in Britain as an American philanthropist (not sure his Scottish roots are so well known, might be wrong about that) who funded public library buildings - many of which still exist (there are some in Manchester).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Carnegie_libraries_in_Europe
We're missing the key to this song!

- 60. | 14/06/2020

- 61. | 06/09/2020

- 62. | 06/09/2020

- 63. | 11/05/2021
Note #2 mentions that chemist = pharmacist. And given that, how coincidental is it that the preceding track on Bend Sinister is... Mr. Pharmacist...?

- 64. | 11/05/2021
If that's really what it is, it could be an abbreviation of "hazardous chemicals", as in the Hazchem warning notices used on vehicles transporting dangerous substances:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazchem

- 65. | 15/05/2021
64 yes but I am filled with doubts

- 66. | 16/06/2022

- 67. | 27/06/2022
Sorry if that comes over a bit irritable! As I say there, it's the most obvious connection if we're looking for a real-world incident. But it's hard to find any further lyrical correspondences to make the connection more compelling as a reference.
http://www.westendatwar.org.uk/page_id__151_path__0p28p.aspx
I note this only because lots of people have said the song seems to obliquely reference a disaster of some kind in a chapel. If so, this would seem a strong candidate. But you'd struggle to make a clear link stand up.
Dan