The last few weeks of Song Lyric Sunday have been quite a journey of discovery. I now know that garage rock isn’t the same as garage and that power pop isn’t the same as pop. And now I realise that Paisley Underground has nothing to do with Prince (that would be Paisley Park).

Paisley Underground, it appears, is a musical genre that emerged in Los Angeles in the mid-eighties and gave more than a nod to bands such as The Doors and Love. My research, however, threw up only one group that I had ever even remotely heard of: The Bangles – and I thought they were just a run-of-the-mill girl group. To be honest, I still do.

I was familiar with their chart hits, such as ‘Manic Monday’ and ‘Eternal Flame’ but wanted to look at something less familiar and for obvious reasons (if you know me) my eyes were drawn to this catchy little number:

Hey there…
Where you going with that load of nothing in your hand
I said: Hey there…
All through this green and pleasant land.

I’m going down to Liverpool to do nothing
I’m going down to Liverpool to do nothing
I’m going down to Liverpool to do nothing
All the days of my life
All the days of my life.

Hey there…
Where you going with that UB40 in your hand
I said: Hey there…
All through this green and pleasant land.

I’m going down to Liverpool to do nothing
I’m going down to Liverpool to do nothing
I’m going down to Liverpool to do nothing
All the days of my life
All the days of my life.

Hey now
Where you going with that UB40 in your hand
I said: Hey now
All through this green and pleasant land.

I’m going down to Liverpool to do nothing
I’m going down to Liverpool to do nothing
All the days of my life
All the days of my life.

Written by Kimberley Rew

Song Lyric Sunday 8 January 2023