Razor Blade Alley
SONG COMPOSERS, LYRICS AND BACKGROUND
LYRICS
Oh I didn’t talk too much, in fact not at all
But to ask for the price I was to be no fool
Money’s no time to waste or to shoot up the wall
You got the know how, the place, did you take media school
She led the way from the alley back to her house
Must not be seen going in must not be seen coming out
She said I looked mighty but thin
She told me I’m gonna give you a second helping
Razor blade alley I’ve been there
Razor blade alley neither of us cared
It was the prime time but the wrong place
It was my first time, I hope my last date
I’m just too shy to check in but this pain of these razors is cutting in
Ooh felt like a knight without shining armour on at the time
She thought she was in a dream floating up on cloud nine
Now I awake
She is nowhere
But the razor cuts deeper, everywhere
COMPOSERS
| Composer | Role |
|---|---|
| Lee Thompson | Music & Words |
BACKGROUND
Bands on the Two Tone Label had a following of skinheads. If you judged solely by the song title, “Razor Blade Alley,” you might assume it was about mindless violence or football hooliganism. However, it is actually about contracting a sexually transmitted disease, which was a taboo subject at the time. Back then, information on the topic was scarce and unreliable, especially for young and inexperienced teenagers. The only sources of information were hearsay and peculiar stickers in public restrooms with telephone hotlines advertised on them.
Bedders was just eighteen years old when this album was recorded. Mark mentioned that “Land of Hope & Glory” and “Razor Blade Alley” are “very worldly songs, which were beyond me at that time since I was younger.” However, it’s remarkable to see that the quality of songwriting and playing has stood the test even after thirty years.
References
| Representation | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Publisher | Copyright Control |
Extensive efforts have been made to gather factual information and knowledge on madness from various sources and document them. These sources include publicly accessible websites, books and publications, historical artefacts, and other pertinent materials. As a result, a comprehensive index of resources has been compiled and integrated into the website. These resources, if relevant to this article, are listed below.
| Reference | Source |
|---|---|
| Madness' One Step Beyond... (Terry Edwards) | Book |
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