Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCCXIX--Squeeze: Pulling Mussels (from the Shell)

For shits and grins, I thought I'd actually do one of these posts on a Friday, just to stun both of my readers....

 

I am notoriously bad at hearing lyrics, and this week's tune is no exception.  I originally thought the chorus was "pulling muscles for Michelle...."  Guess I thought it was a song about a guy doing some serious bodybuilding to impress a gal named Michelle....

I wrote a brief history of Squeeze in Vol. 227 for their song "Tempted," so I'll just note here that forty-seven years down the road they are still touring and sadly have yet to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame although groups with half their talent, such as Abba, have been.  It's a cruel world.

Fun Fact:  I've been listening to this week's tune since the early 1980's, and had no idea until I did my weekly half-assed research that "pulling mussels" was British slang for coitus.  And now, sadly, I am far too old to ever have a chance to use the phrase to show how cool I am....

"Pulling Mussels (from the Shell" was the second single released (in the U.K.) from Squeeze's whimsically titled LP Argybargy (more British slang, for a rousing argument or discussion).  The song was not released in the U.S. as a single, but did reach #44 on the UK Singles Chart.  The album reached #32 in Great Britain, and was the first Squeeze album to chart here in the States, peaking at #76.

"Pulling Mussels (from the Shell)" is like a short story, a soliloquy of painted lyrics from Chris Difford describing a typical English middle class holiday.  When you add in Tilbrook's understated melodies to Difford's vivid portrait, you have a masterpiece.  Tilbrook sings with a light-hearted lilt, and the song has an uptempo instrumental break featuring Tilbrook on guitar for a bit (he swears he only plays one note...he does wonders with it) which segues into a brilliant piano solo featuring the incomparable Jools Holland.  It's got a catchy as all hell chorus--emaycee fave--to boot.  It's a band making the most of its abilities for your musical enjoyment...and I still have at least one more Squeeze song to go (sometime in 2024, I believe).  A wondrous piece of Brit pop.

Lyric Sheet:  "But behind the chalet, my holiday's complete/And I feel like William Tell/ Maid Marian on her tiptoed feet/Pulling mussels from a shell..."

Enjoy:

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Peace,

emaycee