Ian Dury - There Ain't Half Been Some Clever Bastards Lyrics

Genius! I can't believe I've never listened to this before. I remember buying New Boot back in the 70's ... still love it!

Fucking LEGEND geezza..music lives on..!

takes a clever bastard to write about clever bastarts...okay dokay!

Very clever

What the fk is Daniel O'Donnell doing!! Dury was up there with Shane McGowan as writer, brilliance.

Picture the scene: An 8 year old kid, music mad, was bought one single 7" per week in lieu of pocket money in the mid to late 70's. The week before it was Village People's YMCA, these were simpler times and I had no idea about that group's homosexual imagery. The week after it was Ian Dury and The Blockheads - Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick, which is very possibly not about drum sticks as I then thought.


So myself, my younger sister and my parents are sat in our front room, listening to this week's purchase on their 'music centre' [it wasn't until Xmas at 12 years old that I got my own HiFi] on a Saturday afternoon before tea time and Doctor Who. We flip the record over and hear a man saying "Bastards".


I tried not to looked shocked at what I'd just heard and maintain my seemingly ignorant innocence through fear of having my new record immediately confiscated, but caught the nervous glances exchanged between mum and dad. At school the next week, I was telling everybody that I now owned a record that contained swearing. A couple of weeks later, when I knew my mum would be at my gran's for an hour and my dad was in the bath after working Saturday morning. I gathered 3 of my closest school friends from our little area and played them this magical tune at a quite low volume through fear of my dad hearing what I was up to. Ian Dury was my hero from that day on and as I got older and discovered more about him, my respect and admiration for the man grew.

I gues that must have been middle and late January 1979,during which Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick replaced YMCA at number 1...but was then knocked off the top spot itself by Blondie's Heart of Glass.

We all have that innocent idle.
It is a pity that we do not keep it.
Conformity resistance to change....

Makes me pine for Old England.

Ian dury wos a genius!!...end of !!!!....superb!!!!!

o m g brilliant brilliant song and lyrics.very very clever.

Ian Dury is a creative and great artist around but he died too young!!! Unique anyway!!!

If this doesn't make u laugh there's something up

lmfaoooo x

This was to good to be just a b. Side classic

He had an amazing voice 🔊

great song & funny as fuck!!

loved this track, will see if I can get it someway

Classic b side

There ain't half been some clever bastards a you Mr Ian dury were very much one of them!

The one clever bastard was Ian dury what a fucking clever bastard and talented bastard he was and joined the clever bastard club!

Daniel O’Donnell......can’t breathe hahahahahah

catch me

i am smart bastard ha ha ha

yeah ian we are the same only i am so slow

I got told off by my mam, and no mistake, for playing this by mistake, being the b-side of Rhythm Stick and all.

Absolutely Excellent Classic Outstanding Genius Of Masterpiece Totally Classic Of All-time so underrated because of it's written lyrics just only words 🎼🎵🎶🎵🎶🎵🎶

There ain't half been some clever bastards and Ian was one of them let's hope there's lots more to come but I ain't seeing it as yet! There ain't so many clever or funny bastards anymore

He was a legend

the songwriter and the musicians on this track were without doubt a bunch of clever bastards, r.i.p. ian

Ian dury was an absolute genius. Poet xx

Is "there ain't half been" a somewhat common phrase in English? If yes, can anyone provide other examples of the expression being used in videos, literature, lyrics etc...?

A A Its an old fashioned colloquial expression, especially in London, there.used to be a TV show called It Ain't Half Hot Mum.

@Eamonn Higgins Thank you!

0:36 that picture of Daniel O'Donnell kills me.

Just so funny can't stop laughing🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Yes Mr Dury, you were indeed one of them, with your witty
songwriting talent.

loved Ian Dury, he was a great lyracist..🥶🥶🥶

Let's hope that here's lots more to come...

My favourite Ian Dury song. Very much missed.

I love this; just love it...

Next time you go into a gallery.....take a good look at those eye ball pleasets hanging on that wall!

Brilliant!

Talented lyricist and band

This song should be played at graduations!

I saw Ian Dury on the Stiff Records tour when they gave out tee shirts and badges saying "If it ain't stiff it ain't worth a f...." and then at Crystal Palace when Red Ken arranged a free concert as an alternative to the Chas and Di wedding. Everyone ended up jumping in the pond in front of the stage.
There aren't really any adjectives to describe Ian Dury. What a terrible terrible thing he's not still with us.

Yes it's true! He should be here nowadays to teach the youngsters......

Brilliance

Dis song is helarious

.......& The Blockheads

RIP PROFESSOR STEVEN HAWKIN!

This is about ‘Ian Dury’ not ‘Steven hawkins’ you fucking... idiot!

One of the best lyricists of all time, pure and simple! Miss you madly Ian and adore your genius songs!!

Sorely missed my friend fookin genius.

Daniel O'donnell he's got away with murder , fuckin SHITE

I was just reading about quantum entanglement, and this came to mind. I miss him, such clarity of thought and insight.

Why is there a picture of Daniel Odonnel ?

Aaron Smyth gonk

Is that not Daniel O'donnell ? https://youtu.be/PPvRsLWlDXw?t=38

Just how good were the Blockheads? Superb

No one in the punk era matched Dury for lyrics, not even Strummer/Jones. Weird, I actually reckon he could have been a great rapper if he'd been interested.

probably got help from their mum

Wonderful talent even what he's been through.

IN DEATH BECOME LEGENDS!!!

Eamon, that video compilation was done by a clever bastard.

Thanks Danny

Miss him....... clever bastard ..... GENIUS more like X

Big shout out to Chaz Jankel!

But a lot of these clever bastards couldn't even wipe their own asses.

There's been quite a few stupid ones too.

Mr Dury you were one fucking genius....sadly missed.

Eric satie

And the charmer Ian Dury was one of 'em! See you in heaven, love.

Okey-dokey!...❤f2bf

there aint half been some clever bast erds,. R.I.P  ian...

Okey-dokey!
Oh!
Segovia.

Ian knew wot was wot.

It takes one to know one, Ian. RIP mate.

Reminds me of me dad
Rip dad and you Ian ✌️

Probably the most original musical artist of our time.

stupid looking parrot.

luvly poetry, golden

Essex's poet laureate.

Genius ! Nice to see Viv Stansall in there

nice job with the video mate :) thanks

what a man he was.. RIP Ian

"RIP Ian"


Apart from the fact that he is not dead!

like the picture of mr dury at the end. cos he was one of those. dylan eat your heart out! a sense of humour doesn't mean you are not a poet.

b side of their number one hit- Hit Me With Your Rythmn Stick

anarcho vegan I went to buy the single from Woolworths in Ruislip in 1978 but my mum wouldn't pay for it because of the language. I was fucking gutted. I think I got rocky sharpe and the replays or some other shite instead.

Ramalamafuckingdingdong

Indeed it is, I had this single as a kid back then.

Wasn't allowed to play this side of the record as a kid. Thinking back on it, my Mum must had a sheltered upbringing. The latent sado-machistic lyrics of Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick sailed right over her head. It was alright to play that :D

top tune from a bloody brilliant minds

E was a clever bastard.

I got help from me MUM :)

Pari Exon u will Get never anorher

what a brilliant group seen them live they were fantastic more of the kids should listen to this instead of the shit they listen to today

Makes a change from dull modern music.

I don't half miss Ian

Its not the same without him. Oh oh

'alf* :)

lol...yes

im,e learning this one for upcoming gig - cause I just bought a nord piano - boom

Fucking great

Wait is that a double negative? So there HAVE been some clever bastards, right?

What two negatives?

Adam Blainey ain't half means more than half

Ain't half been means there sure were.

I swore he was saying lucky penis. it's actually lucky bleeders

My favourite of theirs, great band, great bloke, nothing 'faux' about him.

You'd have to get up pretty fucking early in the morning to top this. Genius at every level.

I`m a blockhead.

my friends in valencia had a tape with "ian drury and the blackheads"

After he says there ain't half been some clever bastards I thought the guys in the background say fucking penis. I only just realised they say lucky bleeders

"Einstein can't be classed as witless
He claimed atoms were the littlest
When you did a bit of splitting-em-ness
Frightened everybody shitless"

IAN DURY WAS ONE OF THE CLEVEREST BASTARDS THAT EVER LIVED

Miles Jolly That he was

Lucky bleeder

And was wondering if then we can arrange a good Film. Andy Serkis does more than just a good job. Plays with The real BLOODY BLOODY BLOCKHEADSXX👍👍👍👏👏👏... NO NEED BUT VERY CLEVER BASTARDS... AND MORE, KEEP UP... 😴😴😴

no doubt..

1:21 great photo of Einstein showing his playful, childlike side.