‘Around’, ‘Down’, ‘Sideways’ and ‘Up’ are Jim’s key words for Song Lyric Sunday this week. This Yardbirds song that I remember very well from 1966 has two of them. I was no doubt attracted by the guitar sounds, with their occasional hints of sitar, but the lyrics, on a closer reading, are appealingly hedonistic

The video is interesting because the faces of the guitarists are never shown. That may be because on the original recording Jeff Beck played both lead and bass guitar.

Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!
Cars and girls are easy come by in this day and age,
Laughing, joking, drinking, smoking,
Till I’ve spent my wage.
When I was young people spoke of immorality,
All the things they said were wrong,
Are what I want to be.

Over under sideways down,
Backwards forwards square and round.
Over under sideways down,
Backwards forwards square and round.
When will it end, when will it end,
When will it end, when will it end.

Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!
I find comment ’bout my looks irrelativity,
Think I’ll go and have some fun,
‘Cos it’s all for free.
I’m not searching for a reason to enjoy myself,
Seems it’s better done,
Than argued with somebody else.

Over under sideways down,
Backwards forwards square and round.
Over under sideways down,
Backwards forwards square and round.
When will it end, when will it end,
When will it end, when will it end.

Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!
Over under sideways down…

Written by Jeff Beck, Chris Dreja, Jim McCarty, Keith Relf and Paul Samwell-Smith

Song Lyric Sunday 3 November 2019