Gross Chapel-British Grenadiers

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)

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/battle-of-brandywine.htm- the marching song "British Grenadiers" was played before/during the Battle of Brandywine in 1777 at which the British army successfully repelled US forces, leading to the temporary capture of Philadelphia by British troops. 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.

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.  ^

Gross Chapel-British Grenadiers: Fall Tracks A-Z

The Story of the Fall: 1986

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.).