Look, Know

(1)

Do y'know what you look like
Before you go out?

But I say happy memories
Leave a bitter taste     (2)
I need a good brainwash agent
To cut out this present shout of:

Do y'know what you look like
Before you go out?

That's why you eat crap food
That's why nobody talks to you
That's why you messed up everything you do

Do y'know what you look like
Before you go out?
Look Know
Look

He was the first one to wear a flying jacket and go to a club
And she has the general policy of not being seen dead in a pub
Straight-leg jeans when she goes out
There's a microbe attached to their brains that itches
And gives a morning shout

Do y'know what you look like
Before you go out?

But I say happy memories leave a bitter taste
I got a prison in me
Our bodies weren't made for times like these
I always have a wash
And that's enough

Do y'know what you look like
Before you go out?

You gotta know what you look like nowadays
Before you go out
Or some existential crap will write about you
They say don't drink alcohol!
You gotta know what you look like, oh!
Before you go out
Know, look, look

But I say get it down yer neck
Ein beer
And I will you and you attack attack
Pure Sartre food (3)
Catchment club   (4)

Do y'know what you look like
Before you go out?

With all the fashions you filched off faggots
With all the fashions you filched off faggots (5)

Do y'know what you look like
Before you go out?

Here's health!

Zip, zip!  (6)

1. The version on Hip Priests and Kamerads begins with the same keyboard introduction and spoken words that starts "Fortress" on Hex Enduction Hour, and a similar keyboard riff appears on the first part of "The Man Whose Head Expanded."

The riff is a preset beat on the Casio VL tone keyboard. The same riff appears in "Da da da ich lieb dich nicht du liebst mich nicht aha aha aha" ("Da Da Da I Don't Love You You Don't Love Me Aha Aha Aha") by the band Trio. They were associated with Neue Deutsche Welle (German New Wave), but reportedly they preferred to call their style Neue Deutsch Frölichkeit, or "New German Cheerfulness." "Da Da Da" was a number 2 hit in the UK in 1982 (thanks to nochmal in the comment section of "The Man Whose Head Expanded" for bringing this to my attention). "Da Da Da" came out not long before the appearence of Hex Enduction Hour.

Marc Riley on Twitter: "my guitar outbursts on Look, Know based on Candyskin." "Candyskin" is a 1981 song by Fire Engines, a Scottish post-punk outfit.

Dan: The press handout for Hex Enduction Hour contains a "next single announcement", which says of "Look, Know":
 

a new version of a fairly old song recorded using the same technique as 'And This Day'. Lyric is a schizo rant, spawned in the U.S., where many groups are becoming male go-go dancers

According to Paul Hanley, this was originally called "Know Look" (Have a Bleedin Guess p. 38).

From Dan:

Paul Hanley, Have a Bleedin Guess, p.142
 

Although 'Look, Know' was the only song committed to tape at both of the sessions that made up Hex Enduction Hour's recording, it wasn't included on the final album. Instead it was released as a stand-alone single a month after Hex.

p.143-144:
 

The lyric shows Mark as his most schizophrenic - he takes the part of both the person being criticised and the one dishing out the disparagement, so the song ends up as an argument with himself. Though the first break is more generally directed at fashion obsessives, the bulk of the lyric takes the form of an imaginary conversation between Mark and the rest of the group, which explains Marc's prominent role. Semi-serious critiques of what we ate and and what we chose to wear were fairly commonplace at the time, and the answer to the question 'Do you know what you look like?' is printed on the back of the sleeve - 'These boys obviously do not'. Mark was fully aware that such criticisms were easy enough to direct back at him, which is why in the lyric you're never sure which voice is his. As the lyric evolved there were some changes to disguise this - The Peel version's 'That's why you messed up the interview' is changed to 'everything you do' on the single.

^

2.  Zack submits:

"In a letter to Tony Friel dated 25.1.77 (recently shared on The Mighty Fall Facebook group), MES listed 'Happy Memories and a Bitter Taste(Really!)' as one of 'The OUTSIDER GROUP'"s unrecorded songs."

The Fall originally called themselves The Outsiders until they learned the name was taken.

See also "H.O.W." and "Gramme Friday."

^

3. Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980) was a French philosopher not known for cleanliness or sartorial elegance, but it may be he who is referred to in the line "some existential crap will write about you."

^

4. A "catchment area" seems to be an area from which a rugby club may recruit. This lingo is used in multiple countries. Maddeningly, while there are many references to "catchment clubs" on the internet, I haven't found one that explains what one is, but the general idea is like a farm team, I think. From the site for an Australian club:

Broncos catchment? 

The catchment area for the Charleswood Broncos is north of McGillivray Blvd, south of the Assiniboine River, west of Route #90, and east of the Perimeter Hwy, as well as South Headingley from Wilkes Avenue to Assiniboine River. All players living or attending a school within these boundaries can register for football with the Charleswood Broncos.  If you are outside this catchment area, please check MMFA website for catchment club.

^

5. From Dan:

On the back of the "Look, Know" single is the following text: "HE was the first one to wear a harlequin type jacket and go to a club; and SHE has a general policy of not being seen dead in a pub Straight leg jeans when she goes out, there's a microbe attached to their brains which itches and gives a morning shout. Do y'know what you look like before you go out. All fashions are Filched off faggots, then, TWO OR MORE YEARS LATER .....

^

6. According to Hexen Blumenthal, this "might be an acknowledgement of the resemblance to the bass part of 'No Zip' by The Immortal Invisibles." "No Zip" seems to be 50% of the Invisibles' output, as it is the B side of their only single ("Classical Music" is the A side, and it's harder than "No Zip"--i.e., impossible--to find online).

^

Look, Know: Fall Tracks A-Z

MES to Tony Friel: