This is a brilliant track off a great album. I saw them live in about 81 and that gig was fkin awesome, very high energy (Dunstable). But hearing this track after so many years is also sad for me. I grew up in a middle-class family full of hate, abuse and hypocrisy, and being only 15 at the time this song really punched me in the gut. It said everything I wished I could say, but was unable to. In those days I owned very few records and all you could listen to was R1, Peel, etc. But I listened to Happy Families over and over, it had me in tears up in my bedroom as my dad laid into my mum downstairs. Also So Far Away, and when I was 18 I left home. A couple of years later my mum left my dad - I was so proud of her. "Don't you wish you could be so far away?" had become my mantra and I drifted through 41 countries in my life, only coming back to the UK recently during covid times. Thanks for uploading this.
You'd better not shout button up your tears What the neighbours don't see the world can't hear You wouldn't want that you'd better leave it be Think of the face your respectability Now the kids have gone so you can't pretend You're both like strangers you can't comprehend No-one but yourself with who to fight Everything's the same but nothing's quite right Weekends are so pretty when they come round for a while The misery felt inside for a second turns to a forced smile But how you love it you feel so safe with your cake and a cup of tea And everybody's so content playing happy families Happy, happy families, happy, happy families They got a brand new car across the way Spend your time wondering how they pay Their garden flowers oh so trim And the tea, always laced with gin Sitting by the fire keeping warm It's a new (can't make out the rest of this line) Now you know you can't be free So let's all pretend we're a happy family
Esta noche voy a verlos, estoy emocionada
Pure class
This is a brilliant track off a great album. I saw them live in about 81 and that gig was fkin awesome, very high energy (Dunstable). But hearing this track after so many years is also sad for me. I grew up in a middle-class family full of hate, abuse and hypocrisy, and being only 15 at the time this song really punched me in the gut. It said everything I wished I could say, but was unable to. In those days I owned very few records and all you could listen to was R1, Peel, etc. But I listened to Happy Families over and over, it had me in tears up in my bedroom as my dad laid into my mum downstairs. Also So Far Away, and when I was 18 I left home. A couple of years later my mum left my dad - I was so proud of her. "Don't you wish you could be so far away?" had become my mantra and I drifted through 41 countries in my life, only coming back to the UK recently during covid times. Thanks for uploading this.
Outstanding .
You'd better not shout button up your tears
What the neighbours don't see the world can't hear
You wouldn't want that you'd better leave it be
Think of the face your respectability
Now the kids have gone so you can't pretend
You're both like strangers you can't comprehend
No-one but yourself with who to fight
Everything's the same but nothing's quite right
Weekends are so pretty when they come round for a while
The misery felt inside for a second turns to a forced smile
But how you love it you feel so safe with your cake and a cup of tea
And everybody's so content playing happy families
Happy, happy families, happy, happy families
They got a brand new car across the way
Spend your time wondering how they pay
Their garden flowers oh so trim
And the tea, always laced with gin
Sitting by the fire keeping warm
It's a new (can't make out the rest of this line)
Now you know you can't be free
So let's all pretend we're a happy family
not kidding. this was polayed enough on kroq in the early 80s