Probably the most well known song by the band
Television Personalities (still, it's hardly known at all). I was quite surprised to find that the
lyrics are not anywhere else on the
internet, so I endevoured to
transcribe them, and point out interesting factlets on the way. The lyrics are pretty self-explanitory as to what the song is about, and the words could still describe many of the people in the current punk 'scene'; especially here in
Melbourne.
First up, the song first appeared in 1978 as the first track on the 'Personalities' first release; the '
Where's Bill Grundy Now?' EP. The best place to find it now would be the Television Personalites' Compilation: '
Part Time Punks: The Very Best Of Television Personalities', or at least download it over the internet. It also appeared as the last track on the
Rough Trade Records compilation tape (
Rough Trade Records: 1978-1981) that came out with the latest edition of the RTR
magazine; '
Art Rocker'.
John Peel says about this track in the magazine;
The uninvolved listener might say this is like Jilted John but the reason it existed would be entirely different. Of course, they were all part time punks because nobody could afford to be a full time punk, although there was the dole then. Great to hear it again, I'd have thought, that is as good a way to end the compilation as is possible, in summary of what has gone before.
It is a very simplistic song, but the
verse-
chorus-v-c-v-c style suits the song, and the drumming has to be heard - as do the backing vocals. You also get to see what overt name droppers they were. Anyway, here goes:
PART TIME PUNKS Words/Music: Daniel Treacy
Walking down the Kings Road
I see so many faces
They come from many places
They come out for the day
They walk around together
And try and look trendy
I think it's a shame
That they all look the same
Here they come
La-la-la-la laa laa
La-la-la-la laa laa
The Part-Time Punks
Here they come
La-la-la-la laa laa
La-la-la-la laa laa
The Part-Time Punks
Then they go to Rough Trade
(1)
To buy
Sioxie and the Banshees(2)
They heard
John Peel(3) play it
Just the other night
They'd like to buy the
O Level(4) single
And
Read About Seymour(5)
But they're not pressed in red
(6)
So they buy
the Lurkers(7) instead
Here they come
La-la-la-la laa laa
La-la-la-la laa laa
The Part-Time Punks
Here they come
La-la-la-la laa laa
La-la-la-la laa laa
The Part-Time Punks
They play their records very loud
They
pogo(8) in the bedroom
In front of the mirror
But only when their mum's gone out
They play five pairs on the busses
(9)
And they never use
toothpaste
But they got two fifty
(0)
To go and see
the Clash - tonight
Here they come
La-la-la-la laa laa
La-la-la-la laa laa
The Part-Time Punks
Here they come
La-la-la-la laa laa
La-la-la-la laa laa
The Part-Time Punks
(1): Rough Trade Records have shops around London. There would have been alot of unknown, upcoming punk and
new-wave bands' singles and albums stocked at that time.
(2): Reasonally well known goth/punk band. Their first album; '
The Scream' would have been released around this time, which was more punk sounding.
(3):
BBC Radio DJ. Was, and still is a big supporter of lots of underground bands like
The Fall,
Swell Maps, and the Television Personalities.
(4): Shameless self promotion; this was the former name of the Television Personalities. The single would have been '
14th Floor', their only release under that name.
(5): The
Swell Maps' first single.
(6): Pressed on red
vinyl - Punks would rather get something that looked good rather than a plain looking good record.
(7): Short lived English punk band, and a pretty crappy one at that.
(8): Punk dance. Consists of jumping up and down, and bumping into people. Can be painful, I've seen people come out bleeding. Now called
moshing I assume, (can't work out why either, damn kids) sometime in the ninties.
(9): This is the only line I couldn't figure out properly. Your guess is as good as mine.
(0): Would two pounds fifty be enough to see the Clash in 1978? (Sources tell me yes)