Lay of the Land
Lyrics
Lay
Lay
Lay (2)
Armageddon
This beautiful tree
Boo hoo
Give up living
Am who I they given
On the buses, up the stair (3)
By the television
Pretend to learn
Where's the lay of the land
My son
Where's the lay of the land
My son
What's the lay of the land
My son
The last Briton on the street
He said the radio fuzz
Is dead and beat
No longer reflects our daft fate
We'll leave this city
Hit a quick coach, pick the town in Surrey (4)
There's no-one there but crooks and death
Kerb-crawlers of the worst order (5)
Where's the lay of the land
My son
What's the lay of the land
My son
Eldritch house (6)
With green moss
Sound of ordinary on the waves (7)
Tiles drip from, from its roof
Home secretary has a weird look (8)
Where's the lay of the land
My son
What's the lie of the land
My son
The good Book of John
Surrounds son (9)
Sound of ordinary on the waves
Italic scribble on horizon
When the height of culture is a bad stew
Space bores, normal disorder
Indian clerk
low-calorie drink
Where's the lay of the land
Where children circle in cycles
Giving jokes ad lib
By bearded writers
Who defected to
Higher realms
(Higher realms...)
Advertising realms (10)
Where's the lay of the land
My son
What's the lie of the land
My son
People laughing...people fighting...people watching...
Between the ticker and the mind lies an air-block of wind (11)
Boo!
Notes
1. "Lay of the land" is a common English idiom, literally meaning to get a sense of the geography of a place, but probably more commonly used metaphorically, as in "How your new job?" "I'm still getting the lay of the land..." Ex worker suggests there is a play on words here, such that the title also refers to a "lay" or ballad, and there may also be an allusion to ley lines (see note 2 below).
From Brix's book The RIse, the Fall, and the Rise (via Dan):
"The Wonderful and Frightening World … starts off with a song Mark and I wrote, ‘Lay of the Land’. The main body of it, the guitar part, was thrashy country rockabilly; it’s the way I play rhythm guitar. E and A minor are my favourite chords; I put them in everything. I wrote the music for ‘Lay of the Land’ at home, and then I brought it into the rehearsal room and everyone added their bits. The spark of the song was the science-fiction TV show Quatermass (a cult show about cults). Mark and I sat down to watch it one night, and the characters were chanting, ‘Lay, lay …’"
Brix on Twitter (via Dan):
https://twitter.com/Brixsmithstart/status/1245819325291859970?s=19
It was also about Lay [sic] Lines and me and Mark were fascinated by them and studied ancient maps of Britain to understand where the [sic] were snd how to harness their power
I was heavily into rockabilly at the time when I wrote it, hence the lopsided swaggerY groove of my guitar.
I was also trying to write a Fiery Jack type feel to Keep it #TheFall esque.
2. This is chanted by several people, and continues throughout the introduction. The chant is derived from the 1979 BBC miniseries Quatermass, in which a cult of hippie-like "Planet People" are on a quest to be taken to a new planet; they believe if they find the stone monolith structure called "Ringstone Round" they will be transported from there. Their search for Ringstone Round consists of walking aroung chanting while one of them holds a pendulum out in front of them which may be intended to sense certain cthonic forces. Thus, the original chant may be "ley, ley, ley," as the Planet People are perhaps relying on a ley line to lead them to their goal. Ley lines (if they indeed exist, which is disputed) are alignments of old, and in many cases partially or wholly effaced, paths and roads to mounuments, old buildings, standing stones and mountain ridgetops in the British landscape. Alfred Watkins, the British amateur archaeologist who coined the term in 1921, believed ley lines to be a network of straight tracks laid out for navigation purposes, with perhaps some ceremonial significance. Critics have claimed that the amount of straight lines that can be drawn between such sites as mentioned above is no greater than one would expect from chance alignments. John Michell's 1969 book The View Over Atlantis, drawing on the Chinese notion of feng shui, claims that ley lines are channels of earth energy. Michell's book is still enormously popular among those given to the kind of speculation often grouped under the rubric "New Age," and his theories were almost certainly an influence on Quatermass's depiction of the Planet People. This derivation is given great significance in a remark Brix made about the lyrics to the song: "Lay of the Land was about leylines running through the country. Mark was like, really like into spiritualism and haunting and energy and stuff like that." If this particular remark by Brix seems a bit vapid in tone if not in substance, it must be remembered that, whatever ideas whichever Smith may have had about so-called earth energies at whatever time, the Fall have never been known for promoting the adoption of the speculative or spiritual notions that are sometimes included in their lyrical palette. Among the Michell school, ley lines are sometimes located via a dowsing tool, and this may be done with a pendulum like the one in Quatermass. There are two basses on the song, a powerful rockabilly rave-up composed by Brix, with Karl Burns doubling Hanley at the end (Zack points out that for most of the song, Burns is on tambourine).
3. This may be an allusion to the British sit-com On the Buses; the show's star, Reg Varney appears in the lyrics to "Garden," and "On My Own" also includes the phrase "on the buses."
4. Surrey is a county in southeast England, and borders London, where many ley lines are thought to have their center.
5. Kerb (or "curb") crawling is driving around slowly in an attempt to solicit sex. Hawkwind has a song called "Kerb Crawler."
6. "Eldritch" is a pet adjective of MES favorite H.P. Lovecraft, as Martin Gammon points out:
"'Eldritch house' is presumably a Lovecraftian reference, as the protagonist encounters sinister ancient forces when he leaves the city for his new environment."
7. This might mean radio waves, as Dan points out--i.e., ordinary sounds coming through the radio. Whatever this connotes, it could be perjorative, but it seems to me this is not necessarily the case.
"The Home Secretary when this was written (1984) was Leon Brittan. He was moved to Trade & Industry after a relatively short time in post (1983-85): Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher wrote 'Everybody complained about his manner on television, which seemed aloof and uncomfortable.'"
9. The Book of John is the fourth gospel, which begins "In the beginning was the Word (logos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." The "Word" in question is commonly thought to refer to Jesus Christ, so a very literal interpretation of the passage could indeed suggest that the book "surrounds the son." There are three epistles in the New Testament also called "John," and the disciple John is traditionally credited with composing Revelation (note that the song begins with a reference to Armageddon). Modern scholarship generally holds it unlikely that St. John the Apostle is the same man who authored these works, and it is also doubted--although with less consensus on the matter--whether the same author penned all four books.
"It could be a Quatermass reference. The first three series of Nigel Kneale's Quatermass were broadcast on the BBC, but the fourth and final series was broadcast on ITV. Since the BBC carries no advertisements, this could be perceived as defecting to advertising realms. On the other hand, I haven't found a picture of Kneale with a beard.
Also Dan suggests that this could refer to Salman Rushdie, a bearded author and former ad man, and points out that John Michell (see note 1) wrote an anti-Rushdie pamphlet after the Ayatollah Khomeini's famous fatwa condemning the latter to death for penning The Satanic Verses. This did not happen until a couple of years after this song was released, however: The Satanic Verses was published in 1988 and the fatwa was issued in 1989; The Wonderful and Frightening World of the Fall was released on October 8th, 1984. At the time, Rushdie was mostly known for Midnight's Children and Shame. Thus, although the line could refer to Rushdie, I've been unable to connect him with the themes of the song.
11. This may be too patent to require a note, but to err on the side of caution I will mention that "ticker" is common slang for the human heart, usually identifying the literal, but sometimes the metaphorical, organ.
Comments (64)
Is it "ordinary"? It's not clear, but it sounds to me more like something like "old Mary".
By bearded writers
Who defected to
Higher realms
Advertising realms
Eye
They give in"
Are we sure about those lines. The "ample" sounds to me at times like"I'm". Probably it's "ample", but there's no harm in asking for second opinions.
After seeing this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy13BCHntZ4 and if it is taken for granted that Brix might have more knowledge than any of us, it seems that 'ordinary' is indeed right but 'ample eye' is not. It seems to be 'I am ... they give in' - I can't make out what is inbetween.
Then again, Brix might not be reciting the words 100% accurately though.
Who defected to
Higher realms
Advertising realms"
I have revisited this. It could be a Quatermass reference. The first three series of Nigel Kneale's Quatermass were broadcast on the BBC, but the fourth and final series was broadcast on ITV. Since the BBC carries no advertisements, this could be perceived as defecting to advertising realms. On the other hand, I haven't found a picture of Kneale with a beard.
LP & RM
On the buses, some who stare
By the tele-vid
Some pretend to learn
J
On the buses many who stare
On the buses some pretend to learn
not sure if its some who, some that or some will in the first line or none of them
He said the radio fuzz
Is dead effete
No longer reflects our daft fate
We'll leave this city
Hit a quick coach, pick a town in Surrey
There's nothing here but crooks and death
Kerb-crawlers of the worst order
"Saw" on Rough mix and Jensen only
With green moss
Sound of ordinary on the waves
Tiles drip from its roof
Home secretary has a weird look
I heard the "sound of ordinary" line before reading the comments above to see it had been suggested before. Does sound like that to me, suggests bland music on the radio waves blasting out from the eldritch house
The good Book of John
Surrounds the sun
Sound of ordinary on the waves
Italic scribble on horizon
J
The good Book of John
Surrounds the sun
Bouncy grooves OK
Italic scribble on horizon
I hope the bouncy grooves ok line is wrong
RM The sound of culture is a bad stew
J Heights of culture is a bad stew
LP Where children circle in cycles
RM Children cycle on corners
J Children cycle certain corners
Its a real stretch to suggest an influence but the children cycling in circles (in cycles of time?) and the ley line theme brings to mind Children of the Stones https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children_of_the_Stones. I don't know if the writers of it were bearded but they probaby were as they are all know again (cycles of time...)
RM
People writing, people dying, people watching films called Christine
Countries haunted by past misdemeanours
Between the ticker and the mind lies an air-block of wind
J
People watching films called Christine
People dying
Countries haunted by past misdemeanours
A block between the ticker and the mind
Uh it blows a wind
Could be country's rather than countries - a great line either way
It was shown in two parts, broadcast on 9th May and 16th May.
Given the dating, this seems to be the most likely occasion when MES would have picked up the "lay, lay" stuff (unless he'd got it home-taped, although it wasn't commercially available on video until 1985).
In October-November 1979, when the series was first shown, The Fall were on tour and would probably have missed all or most of it due to gig commitments.
I guess they still could be a Quatermass-author related reference, but the chronology I think makes is less likely. You could also argue it works anyway!
Hm. It is "ordinary" on the Jensen version. Relatively clear.
Are we erring in interpreting "ordinary" as an adjective?
It's also a noun.
From the Shorter Oxford dictionary (summarised):
Now, there's a strong chance the waves are radio waves, given references to radio fuzz. But perhaps there's a nautical meaning given the same waves. Or one of the others.
Jansen I was listening to and I clearly heard that without looking for it, then replayed it and heard it again. And I am very glad to see John and Mary go. But it still bugs me that Martin rejected "ordinary" on the basis of the same version.
"There's no-one there [in the city] but crooks and death" also seems to reflect the very beginning of the serial, where we see that the young people have turned to looting and kidnapping.
https://twitter.com/hanleyPa/status/1245820030647963650
https://twitter.com/hanleyPa/status/1245819224108544003
https://twitter.com/hanleyPa/status/1245818885930135552
Paul:
- which it was, see above.
https://twitter.com/hanleyPa/status/1245818459960770562
Brix:
https://twitter.com/Brixsmithstart/status/1245818719051399175
https://twitter.com/Brixsmithstart/status/1245819557777981441
https://twitter.com/Brixsmithstart/status/1245819325291859970?s=19
Between thought and expression
Although reversed between logic and feeling.
Same for My New House and Cruisers Creek. They really should stop using the shorter Edits, there not as epic or fun.
The Shunned House (1937): "I can still recall my youthful terror not only at the morbid strangeness of this sinister vegetation, but at the eldritch atmosphere and odour of the dilapidated house..."
https://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/sh.aspx
Caution required as always in case what is written is not what was delivered in the studio.
But:
"on the buses some just stare" instead of "on the buses, up the stair"
"dead effete" instead of "dead and beat"
It is "sound of ordinary on the waves"
and "the good book of John surrounds the sun", rather than "son"
.. and so on. Needs some attention.
I’m glad that “on the buses some just stare” “televid” and “dead effete” get canonized, especially the latter as the sound-alike (there’ll be an academic term for this) of “dead effete” and “daft fate” is an example of why he was so good.
The transcripts above I did all that time time ago aren’t very helpful, hopefully those below will be useful
On the buses many just stare
On the buses some pretend to learn
Where’s the lay of the land my son?
Where’s the lay of the land my son?
What’s the lay of the land my son?
Saw the last Briton on the street
He said the radio fuzz is dead effete
No longer reflects our daft fate
Will leave this city
Hit a quick coach, pick a town in Surrey
There's nothing here but crooks and death
Kerb-crawlers of the worst order
Where’s the lay of the land my son?
What’s the lie of the land my son?
Eldritch house with green moss
Sound of ordinary on the waves
Tiles drip from its roof
The home secretary has a weird look
What’s the lie of the land my son?
Where’s the lay of the land my son?
The good Book of John
Surrounds the sun
Vanity proves OK
Italic scribble on horizon
Height of culture is a bad stew
Of space bores, government disorder
Indian clerk, no calorie drink
Where’s the lay of the land?
Children cycle, circle corners
With jokes ad lib from bearded writers
Defected to advertising realms
Higher realms
What’s the lie of the land my son?
Where’s the lie of the land my son?
People watching films called Christine
People dying
Countries haunted by past demeanours
A block between the ticker and the mind
Uh, it blows a wind
On the buses some just stare
By the televid some pretend to learn
Where’s the lay of the land my son?
Where’s the lay of the land my son?
What’s the lay of the land my son?
Saw the last Briton on the street
He said the radio fuzz is dead effete
No longer reflects our daft fate
Will leave this city
Hit a quick coach, pick a town in Surrey
There’s nothing here but crooks and death
Kerb-crawlers of the worst order
Where’s the lay of the land my son?
What’s the lie of the land my son?
Eldritch house with green moss
Sound of ordinary on the waves
Tiles drip from its roof
Home secretary has a weird look
Where’s the lay of the land my son?
What’s the lie of the land my son?
The good Book of John
Surrounds the sun
Sound of ordinary hits the waves
Italic scribble on horizon
Sound of culture is a bad stew
Space bores, government disorder
Indian clerk, no calorie drink
Where’s the lay of the land?
Children cycle on the corners
Making jokes ad lib by bearded writers
Who defected to higher realms
Advertising realms
Where’s the lay of the land my son?
What’s the lie of the land my son?
People fighting
People dying
People watching films called Christine
Countries haunted by past demeanours
Between the ticker and the mind
Lies an air block of wind