Songs: My Boss Was In An Indie Band Once

notes / gigs / releases

My boss was in an indie band once
He's still got his paisley shirt
He reckons that the ethics of punk
Can be applied to the world of work
My boss was in an indie band once
He's still kicking out the jams
He says Here are three bullet points
Go and form a Business Plan
Because my boss was in an indie band once
Yes he was
He was � yes he was

My boss was in an indie band once
He never sold his bass
It's in the attic with a box of his singles
And the master tapes
My boss was in an indie band once
And when he started working here
It was meant to be a temporary gig
While he reassessed his Rock Career
My boss was in an indie band once
Yes he was
He was � yes he was

Then he got a message on his MySpace from a girl in Kyoto
She's a lifelong fan and her record label wanted to know
If he's still got the master tapes, they want to do a re-release
Turns out he's got a cult following out there in the Far East
He was pleased
To say the least

My boss is in an indie band now
He's got a brand new band
They're twenty years younger than he is
And they're on tour in Japan
My boss is in an indie band now
And while he's got time off
They've asked if I wouldn't mind
Acting up to do his job
Now I'm the one who was
In an indie band once

Yes I was - I've played the Bull & Gate
I was, yes I was - Nigel Blackwell knows my name
I was, yes I was - I've met that Steve Lamacq
I was, yes I was - And one day I'll be back
I was in an indie band once

Published by Wipe Out Music Publishing

This one's based on myself (obviously), Tim (subject of SO many songs) and two conversations I've had in the past couple of months with ICONS OF ROCK.

The first of these was with Mr (Carsmile) Steve Hewitt in the pub just before going to see Art Brut the other week, when he was telling us about his boss who, surprisingly enough, was in an indie band once. I can't remember the band - it wasn't a famous one - but it did remind me of me and Tim's gig in Reading, when members of his STAFF had been to see him, also the FACT that so many of the C86 generation of bands are now doing Quite Well in Good Jobs, and, increasingly these days, the way that my own CAREER seems to be going quite well despite all my efforts to ROCK OUT instead.

After speaking to Steve I wrote the first half of the song, with a vague idea for other verses gently mocking the BOSS in question. However, the following week i had another pub conversation, this time with LEGEND OF INDIE Mr Phil Wilson. He actually DOES have a cult following in Japan, and verse three (or the second half of verse two, depending how you look at it) is pretty much word for word what he said at one point during said conversation.

THUS when I came to trying to finish the song I realised that it was a bit a) lazy b) MEAN to mock the fictional BOSS, and so instead he follows the example of Phil and goes out ROCKING once again. Once I'd got that bit sorted the idea of me having to ACT UP came to me in a MIGHTY VISION on the way to Tesco this morning (24 November 2006!) and I finished it off when I got back. PEASY!