BILLY’S SHIRTS

First released 1986

This Stutter track gave James merchandising company its name in 1991-2 at the height of the JA-M-ES t-shirt boom

WHERE TO GET

Stutter LP (JIMLP 1), CAS (JIMC 1), CD (7599-25437-2)

Album Version : The Gathering Sound boxset USB stick

LYRICS

Shirts on fire, shirts on fire

Billy's dream boat stills as the house alights

Sailors come from miles for a drink and a fight

But the harbour thrills pull back from the light

To the belly of a boat in a hammer shark attack

Holler, holler, holler, holler, holler, holler, holler, holler

Pleasures of the night

Seaman's delight

Holler, holler, holler, holler, holler, holler, holler, holler

Pleasures of the night

What a sight

Oh no, the organ plays by itself

It doesn't need the grinder's help and the monkey

And the monkey, and the monkey stows away to sea

Back to his wife and a nest in the trees

Billy's brother plays bass in a band called Man

He fancies himself as a travelling ham

Strutting and fretting the myth to fame

In a torn T-shirt he'll carve his name

Holler, holler, holler, holler, holler, holler, holler, holler

Pleasures of the night

What a sight

Oh no, the organ plays by itself

It doesn't need the grinder's help and the monkey

And the monkey, and the monkey stows away to sea

Back to his wife and a nest in the trees

Looking for adventure and some mystery

He doesn't need the grinder and he doesn't want me

Stripped off his suit

So let the poor beast be

Oh, let the poor beast be

The man said, "Ho ho wee, this is too hot for me!"

Billy's shirt's on fire in the night

He said, "Ho wee this is too hot to see."

Billy's shirt's on fire in the night