Music and British Identity: Au Pairs


Primary members: Lesley Woods, Paul Foad, Jane Munro, Pete Hammond
Band Biography
Albums of focus: Playing with a Different Sex (1981)
Songs for study: "It's Obvious," "Love Song," "Repetition," "Come Again," "Set Up," "Diet," "Armagh"

From Playing with a Different Sex (1981):
  1. "It's Obvious"
  2. "Love Song"
  3. "Repetition"
  4. "Come Again"
  5. "Set Up" (live)
  6. "Diet"
  7. "Dear John"
  8. "Come Again" (live)
  9. "Armagh"
  10. "Headache for Michelle"

"It's Obvious" - from Playing with a Different Sex (1981)
Spending time nowadays
Nowadays it’s nice
It’s paradise

Equal time
Equal spending
Yes it’s nice
It’s paradise

Nowadays you cook eggs
Equal breakfast
And again and
Bet it’s nice

You’re equal but different
It’s obvious

Spending time nowadays
By my side
That’s oh so nice
And again with you
It’s equal nice
It’s paradise

Nowadays you wash sheets
Send a buck
Scrub my back for me
That’s paradise

You’re equal but different
It’s obvious

Spending time nowadays
By my side
That’s oh so nice
And again with you
It’s equal nice
It’s paradise

Nowadays you wash sheets
Send a buck
Scrub my back for me
That’s paradise

You’re equal
But different

You’re equal but different
It’s obvious
So obvious

 

"Love Song" - from Playing with a Different Sex (1981)
A touch, a glance
It's a slow dance
It's a classified romance
Purpose, lust and charm, dance to an old refrain:
(I love you)
Dance to an old refrain:
(I love you)
I love you...

Mutual attachment,
Semi-detachment
Rinse out the dream
(in the washing machine)
Rinse out the dream
(in the washing machine)
In the washing machine?
(in the washing machine)
In the washing machine?
In the washing machine!

Take out the ring
Two fates sealed
Negotiated a business deal
Is this true romance?
Champagne bubbles
(Going flat)
Champagne bubbles
(Going flat)
They're going flat
(Going flat)
Going flat
Gone flat!

Will you dine with me tonight?
Will you dance and hold me tight?
Send me an orchid on Valentine's day
What more need you to say

Will you be my wife?
(Be mine)
Honor and obey?
(Be mine)
Drink some more white wine,
(Be mine)
Think it over one day,
(Be mine)
Touch glance, it's a romance
(I love you)

"Repetition" - from Playing with a Different Sex (1981)

Note: This song is a cover of David Bowie's "Repetition" (from the LP, Lodger, 1979)

Johnny is a man
And he’s bigger than you
But his overheads are high
And he looks straight through you when you ask him how the kids are

He’ll get home around 7
Cause the car is real old
And he could have a Cadillac
If the school had taught him right

And he could have married Anne in a blue silk blouse (repeat)

And the food is on the table
But the food is cold
(Don’t hit her)
"Oh, can’t you even cook?"
What’s the good of him working if you can’t damn cook?

Well, Johnny is a man
And he’s bigger than her
I guess the bruises won’t show
If she wears long sleeves
But the space in her eyes shows through
It shows through

Could have married Anne in a blue silk blouse (repeat)
It shows through (repeat)

 

"Come Again" - from Playing with a Different Sex (1981)
You're one of those who changed the game
You brought in new rules, which you obey
And coping, coping, coping--or nearly anyway

You mustn't do this
It may offend her
You must give more
than you take away

But is it real?
Are you feeling it?
You behave like a model
for others to follow
Are you feeling it?
Ah, equal shares, equal shares

It's frustrating,
aggravating,
so annoying!
Pretend you're enjoying it!
Am I doing it right?
Am I doing it right?

(Does it feel all right? I think it's all right?)

Oh, it's your turn now
But do you want to?
I don't know if you want to

It's inhibiting
restricting
so confusing
now I'm losing count
Can't concentrate, it's another way to be

Mustn't think about it
Free and at ease
You're not selfish
You're trying hard to please me -
Do you like it like this?
Do you like it like this?

(please, please me)
Is your finger aching?
I can feel you hesitating
Is your finger aching!?!

Yes, thank you, I got one
Yes, it was nice
Yes, we should go to sleep now
Yes, yes it was fine
We must, we must do it again sometime
(We must, we must do it again sometime)

Should we do it again?
Cum again, wot? -
But not tonight--I'm too tired.
Oh shit, I forgot to put my cap in

 

"Set Up" - Live, Old Grey Whistle Test (1981)

Playing your game
your mother substitute
She is she that you never screwed

Playing your game
Her life revolves around and round you
A total investment you can't afford to lose
You're the prize for her sacrifice
A kiss in the morning,
A kiss late at night

She's closing her eyes
To those possible lies
Keeping the doubts
Locked tight up inside

Playing your game
She taking care of your head
When you're sick
She puts you to bed,
She props you up,
nurses you through
She's here to look after you

She's closing her eyes
To those possible lies
Keeping the doubts
Locked tight up inside

She's closing her eyes...

Playing your game
with the rules that you've set
We're on either side
Am I such a threat?
Playing your game (repeat 4x)

Playing your game
She's taking care of your needs
She is your security
I may remark on your insensitivity
But, you know, she wouldn't listen to me

She's closing her eyes
To those possible lies
Keeping the doubts
Locked tight up inside

 

 

"Diet" - from Playing with a Different Sex (1981)
He works the car
She the sink
She's not here
To think
Sits with the paper
Discuss the news
She doesn't have
Political views

Little one
Can't get to sleep
"Mama, my nightdress
It's hurting me."
Falls on her knees
What has she done
"I forgot the comfort
O little one."

Press the button
On the tumble-drier
Nothing
Can send her higher
Than his shirts
Whiter than white
Gleaming
Ultrabright

Muddy floors
She cleans with flash
Scrub the bath
It doesn't scratch
Has a dance
With Mr. Sheen
See the sideboard
Sparkling clean

A woman's own diet
Keeps her figure trim
Has a headache
Takes Anadin
There's a constant pain
Behind her eyes
She needs to be tranquillised (repeat)

He works the car
She the sink
She's not here
To think
Sits with the paper
Discuss the news
She doesn't have political views (repeat)

She doesn't have any views
She doesn't have any views
She doesn't have any views
She doesn't have any views

She doesn't have any views

 

"Dear John" - from Playing with a Different Sex (1981)

Dear John, cherchez la femme?
Dear John, round the bend?
Dear John, still looking for me?
Dear John, still like what you see?

Dear John, find a sex-machine
It will help with your fantasy
But there is only room for one
And here she comes, here she comes

Dear John, find a sex-machine
It will help with your fantasy
But there is only room for one
And here she comes, here she comes

The car, is it kingfisher blue?
The house, do I welcome you?
Do I recline like the seats in your head?
Sex-tech objects locked in your head?

The car, is it kingfisher blue?
The house, do I welcome you?
Do I recline like the seats in your head?
Sex-tech objects locked in your head?


The car, is it kingfisher blue?
The house, do I welcome you?
Do I recline like the seats in your head?
Sex-tech objects locked in your head?

This is a letter
To make you feel better
This is a letter
To make you feel better
This is a letter
To make you feel better
This is a letter
To make you feel better

Dear John, I'm waiting for you
In the restaurant, I've ordered for two
It's spread upon and around the tables
Ex-bed, horny fables

Dear John, find a sex-machine
It will help with your fantasy
But there's only room for one
And here she comes, here she comes

"Come Again" - Live at The Lyceum, London (1980)

You're one of those who changed the game
You brought in new rules, which you obey
And coping, coping, coping--or nearly anyway

You mustn't do this
It may offend her
You must give more
than you take away

But is it real?
Are you feeling it?
You behave like a model
for others to follow
Are you feeling it?
Ah, equal shares, equal shares

It's frustrating,
aggravating,
so annoying!
Pretend you're enjoying it!
Am I doing it right?
Am I doing it right?

(Does it feel all right? I think it's all right?)

Oh, it's your turn now!
But do you want to?
I don't know if you want to

It's inhibiting
restricting
so confusing
now I'm losing count
Can't concentrate, it's another way to be

Mustn't think about it
Free and at ease
You're not selfish
You're trying hard to please me
Do you like it like this?
Do you like it like this?

(please, please me)
Is your finger aching?
I can feel you hesitating
Is your finger aching!?!

Yes, thank you, I got one
Yes, it was nice
Yes, we should go to sleep now
Yes, yes it was fine
We must, we must do it again sometime
(We must, we must do it again sometime)

Should we do it again?
Come again, wot? -
But not tonight--I'm too tired.
Oh shit, I forgot to put my cap in

 

"Headache for Michelle" - from Playing with a Different Sex (1981)
Got a bad taste in my mouth, I've got a
Heavy, heavy, heavy, heavy, heavy, heavy, heavy, heavy headache
Won't go away

I can't remember much about last night
But I'm trying to regain a little self-control
Today

I got out of my head
I got out of my head
I got out of my head
I got out...
Last night

They are coming
Amongst, amongst, amongst, amongst, amongst, amongst, amongst
And in-between us

They're tapping our phones
Tapping our phones
Tapping our phones
You can be sure that
They've seen us

Are you working
Are you working
Are you working
Are you working for
Or with the state

They're selling you smack at a
Slightly, slightly, slightly, slightly, slightly, slightly, slightly
Cheaper rate

'Cause you're not a threat when you're out of your head
And I'm gonna get out of my head
And it's better in bed
When you're out of your head
And Malcolm is dead
He got out of his head
Out of his head

They are closing down
Communications
They're taking control
Of our situations
The forces of control
The forces of control
The forces of control
The forces of control
The forces of control
The forces of control
The forces of control
The forces of control
The forces of control
The forces of control
The forces of control
The forces of control
The forces of control
The forces of control
The forces of control
Are gathering around our heads
'Round our heads

'Cause you're not a threat when you're out of your head
And I'm gonna get out of my head
And it's better in bed
When you're out of your head
And Malcolm is dead
He got out of his head
And I'm gonna get out of my head
And you're not a threat when you're out of your head

How can you get
How can you get
How can you get
How can you get
How can you get
Out of his head?
Out of his head

How can you get
Out of his head?
How can you get
Out of his head?
How can you get?
He got out of his head
Malcolm is dead
He got out of his head
You're not a threat when you're out of your head

Malcolm is dead
Malcolm is dead