The song for the disaffected youth in the UK. The anger over the economic depression. Trying to live on bugger all money, making do with what you've got. You never lived through those times. AMBER NAILED IT TOTALLY British sarcasm, something that makes the Brits who they are
And the violence, don't forget the fights at outside pubs, at gigs; media-inflamed tribal wars; the NF trying to ruin it for everyone; and the brutality of the police. If you were around then, everything Paul Weller wrote makes perfect sense. And you could dance to it. I nearly got my head kicked in the first time I saw the Jam live, and I could say that about half a dozen gigs I went to.
@@PedroConejo1939yeah the early year's were a bit hairy walking to Brixton tube in winkle pickers, pin stripe boating blazer and stove pipes, never any trouble though except for the old bill. (I think they wanted any excuse) Certainly had a few run in's with the skins in Peckham. Ahh glory days. Poverty n pints 🍻 n punch ons
6:31 Amber's spot on observations surprise me every time. I don't know why, it's just rare that someone is willing to go under the hood of an admittedly esoteric song and dissect it as succinctly as she does. 👍
A police car and a screaming siren A pneumatic drill and ripped up concrete A baby wailing and stray dog howling The screech of brakes and lamp light blinking That's entertainment, that's entertainment Written in 10 minutes and ranked #306 in Rolling Stone's top 500 songs of all time. These were Paul Weller's observations one day in London. Worth another listen.
That's Entertainment... A police car and a screaming siren A pneumatic drill and ripped up concrete A baby wailing and stray dog howling The screech of brakes and lamp light blinking That's entertainment, that's entertainment A smash of glass and the rumble of boots An electric train and a ripped up phone booth Paint splattered walls and the cry of a tomcat Lights going out and a kick in the balls I tell ya that's entertainment, that's entertainment Days of speed and slow time Monday's Pissing down with rain on a boring Wednesday Watching the news and not eating your tea A freezing cold flat and damp on the walls I say that's entertainment, that's entertainment Waking up at six AM on a cool warm morning Opening the windows and breathing in petrol An amateur band rehearsing in a nearby yard Watching the tele and thinking about your holidays That's entertainment, that's entertainment La la la la la la La la la la la la La la la la la la La la la la la la Waking up from bad dreams and smoking cigarettes Cuddling a warm girl and smelling stale perfume A hot summer's day and sticky black tarmac Feeding ducks in the park and wishing you were far away That's entertainment, that's entertainment Two lovers kissing amongst the scream of midnight Two lovers missing the tranquility of solitude Getting a cab and travelling on buses Reading the graffiti about slashed seat affairs I tell ya that's entertainment, that's entertainment La la la la la la La la la la la la La la la la la la La la la la la la La la la la la la La la la la la la La la la la la la La la la la la la La la la la la la La la la la la la La la la la la la
Love The Jam. So Many good Songs. Going Underground Eton Rifles. The Bitterest Pil Thick As Thieves Beat Surrender...so many more. I love the line from this song : " two lovers missing the tranquility of solitude"
The Jam were all about social commentary , this is about working class life in England. Twenty years later Pulp brought out "Common People" which highlights the same satirical theme.
AMBER TOTALLY NAILED IT. This is a brilliant song about things that happen... things that he observes... rather than things he WISH would happen. Paul Weller is a poet. A beautiful song you might love: "MAN IN THE CORNER SHOP" which can bring me to tears with it's simple hopeful message. Cheers!
Soundtrack to life for an adolescent in late 1970’s Britain. High unemployment ,strikes,poor life prospects . At the same time appreciating the small pleasures - a walk in the park,cuddling a war m girl …….pure poetry
Amber got it. I grew up in London in the 70s and 80s. We had to make our own entertainment. There were only a couple of TV channels, no phones or computers. Life could be tough. What entertained you was the mundane things going on around you.
Paul Weller is a freaking genius! Known as the Modfather. The Jam were New Wave and sang gritty lyrics about the state of the country. He was asked in an interview recently why he didn't sing any protest songs anymore and he said, What would be the point, they'd all be about the same things! True dat.
Weller wrote it “in 10 minutes” after coming home from the pub a bit drunk. The song is about the sadness that clings to the everyday aspects of an ordinary life.
I've always loved the guitar melody of this song entirely apart from the awesome, observational commentary. Reminds me of The Smiths where dark and despairing lyrics are laid over bright Jangle Pop. The contrast is both jarring and engaging.
Great song. Very well written. The Jam were BIG! Releasing 18 consecutive top 40 singles in the UK, from their debut in 1977 to their break-up in 1982, including four #1 hits. They’re known for their melodic songs & Mod image. Just like The Who in 1964. 😮
To get this song you need to understand the British class system. This is about being seen as the lowest of the low by those that rule us. The newspapers that print stories to give us ‘entertainment’ are run by people who want us to hate each other & love our monarchy.
Absolutely. Applies to the working poor in the US then and now, as well. He's using sarcasm in describing the drudgery and monotonous nature of the lower end of the socio economic scale in which he (they) grew up ; almost finding a sardonic humor in it. Paul Weller was and is a true poet
Isn't just about the class system though, if you remember at the time there was a revolution in the UK stock market, where stocks and shares dealers had moved on from the monied elite and old school tie brigade, to the sons and daughters of Clued Up Barrow Boys, Market Sellers from Covent Garden, Billingsgate and Smithfields Markets, who made the pound God, they were all from Working Class backgrounds but soon forgot that.
The lead singer, Paul Weller, goes on to create the blue-eyed soul The Style Council you guys will love: “Long Hot Summer,” “You’re the Best Thing,” “Ever Changing Moods” and “Shout to the Top!”
I’m pretty sure ‘blue eyed soul’ was from the 60’s. However, during his Style Council days Weller was known as both ‘The Cappuccino Kid’ and ‘The Modfather’…the later of which he’s still known as. The Style Council also leaned a little more towards Jazz than Soul too.
Another British band to check out would be Xtc - Generals and Majors, Making Plans for Nigel, Dear God, Ballad of Peter Pumpkin Head, Senses Working Overtime, Mayor of Simpleton, King For A Day.
... and that jusr scratches the surface. A few others: Sgt. Rock (I Going To Help Me); Respectable Street; pretty much anyrging from Oranges & Lemons...
For The Jam fans out there. The demo for That's Entertainment is on the Snap! compilation album, and if anything, is possibly more powerful than the released version.
The Jam is so quintessentially English. You should check Style Council as well. Recommendation: Paul Weller (lead singer of The Jam and later, Style Council) as a solo artist with his song “You Do Something to Me”. Paul Weller is a genius and, Jay, I think you will really enjoy this song.
Amber's right, Jay...this one's more about the lyrics. It's just the singer commenting on everything he's seeing around him ... lots of working class sarcastic references. Plus, Paul Weller is pretty open about the fact he wrote this when he'd had a few too many lol. I've seen people suggest this to you before but you should check out Weller's next band; The Style Council. I think you'll be surprised. Try 'You're The Best Thing' and 'Walls Come Tumbling Down.'
A great tune about urban decay in the UK , in the 70s and 80s , you must try The Specials " Concrete Jungle " and The Enemy " We live and die in these Towns " 2 song in a similar vein but decades apart ! Cheers Mike from the UK 🇬🇧 👍 🍺 😊
@@MikePhillips-pl6ov I absolutely love Down In The Tube Station At Midnight, but it's a difficult theme for me - "They smelt of pubs And Wormwood Scrubs, and too many right wing meetings." They were tough times for some of us.
If you didn't notice when you reacted to "Sowing the Seeds of Love", it includes the line: "Kick out the style, bring back the jam". Bring back the Jam!!!
They remind me of The Smiths and XTC. It's older UK alternative rock. "80s. Influenced BritPop to come later (late '80s, '90s, '00s). "Kick in the balls" Brit humor!
Jay what he is doing is Deriding Kicking in the Balls, he doesn't advocate it he is really just dissing the ugly parts of English Culture back then in this Song and getting kicked in the Balls was indeed a part of English Culture back then and still is for that matter...
Oh Jay…… I’m starting to wonder if you are emotionally mature enough to review all the wonderful and different types of music out there! Keep it up Amber, you’re doing great.
Some of the lyrics around the late 70s and early 80s might seem strange to American listeners I guess but that was the language of the times in a messy Britain at the time
Jay wouldn’t have felt this song as much as a Brit. It’s about life living in an urban environment surrounded by a mass of things you encounter, living in a damp flat because that’s what you can afford, opening the windows on a hot summers day hearing police sirens, the cry of a tomcat, howling dog, baby crying. Travelling on a bus, vandalised by knife slashed seats, reading graffiti about love affairs (the heart symbol), walking past paint splattered graffiti walls, the smell of stale perfume, feeding ducks at the park. For many these are the elements that surround your life on a daily basis, things that make you feel alive in this environment but also dreaming about your holidays, to escape, for many, the poverty of this urban life. That’s Entertainment.
Amber, you are rapidly becoming one of the best review voices upon songs and their meanings who is out there in the entire entertainment world. You have an unerring ability to pinpoint a song’s lyrical meaning and I’m here for it! As ever, with this song, a great piece of UK sociopolitical poetry, you have nailed the meaning and bought straight into it. What a journey the two of you have taken these past few years - and what a channel!
This is an example of the commentary/criticism of the UK's political/social state during the 80s - with a heavy dose of sarcasm. If you weren't exposed to the context of the times, you could expected to miss the message. The Jam (Paul Weller) morphed into the Style Council and put out lighter classic tunes... "Long Hot Summer", "You're the Best Thing", My Ever Changing Mood", ""Shout to the Top", "Walls Come Tumbling Down"... prolific with quality.
I was a poor white teenaged Canadian girl of the late 80's and I understood this song perfectly. I often don't grasp why people don't listen to lyrics. I mean LISTEN. This song is about Wellers experience, but I believe anyone whose lived in a certain lower class economic system has this song in their bones. I love your comment. The Jam were so British but again, somehow universal.
You had to be in the right place and at the right time, the UK and 1980s and this is an open book of life in the UK. It is defo one of the best songs ever written because it's simple and correct
So glad you came back to The Jam! Awesome band and Weller is a legend. "Beat Surrender" and "Start" (which has an iconic bassline and riff) would be my next recommendations, but my all-time favorite of theirs is probably "The Bitterest Pill". I also recommend checking out his later band, The Style Council. Which had a bit of a more melodic, soulful, and jazzy flair to them. For Style Council I'd recommend "Solid Bond" or "My Ever Changing Moods" for starters, but they had a ton others. Weller even went on to have a really good solo career.
Rumour has it that Paul Weller came up with this in one session when staggering home from the pub. And after having had a few, followed by a kebab, that can be where you're in a mindset to reflect on the mundane nature of life- the rain, the police out on patrol (good luck seeing that these days), the ripped-up phone box, the sticky black tarmac.....this all typifies that in the grim landscape of 70's Britain, for many, this was as good as life got. Another cheery Jam one to take a look at if you haven't already is "Down in the Tube Station (subway) At Midnight"
Sticky black tarmac.. loved that lyric delivery. This is the song I always used to sing in my head as a teenager when I walked home from a friends house after a late night out. Lots of fun had but also bored of everything around me 😏😀
England was in hard times for a LOT of people... so imagine just smelling petrol outside yer window is as close to 'entertainment' as you're ever going to experience. It was a political cry against the way the government was running the country.... sorta... ish. "That's Entertainment" was also the name of a series of movies that came out after 1974 showcasing MGM's collection of movies. So the song was sorta Weller saying this is what HIS world is like, not so rosy.
I love The Jam. When they broke up, the lead singer Paul Weller formed another band called The Style Council. Totally different vibe than The Jam. The Style Council was jazzier and poppier.
Great song, great band, lots of other great songs by "the Modfather" over the decades, whether with The Jam (Private Hell, Butterfly Collectors, Start, Precious, etc. - a wide range), Style Council, or his long and successful solo career. The Jam were very exciting in concert when I was lucky enough to be there, and enjoyed Paul Weller in concert with his band just a few years ago. And sounds like you got the point in this one, Amber. In this song Paul Weller is singing about a fairly random combination of mundane observations and experiences for people who are not part of the privileged class in London and the UK generally at the time. However, he describes some of these poetically and others matter-of-factly, making the contrasts intriguing. And then, ironically tagging them with "that's entertainment" and a catchy acoustic guitar figure. He performed a live version on TV in a two-guitar duet with Noel Gallagher (formerly) of Oasis. ruclips.net/video/H4b48Jx7Un0/видео.html
Yes Amber your spot on girl sometimes it's just about the story telling, love The Jam but also you should check out Paul Weller in The Style Council and also as a solo artis ❤️😊🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Amber nailed it! It's all about the lyrics and those pertain to observations and what someone would find entertaining in the every day normalcy of life, things that are subtle and others that aren't. Here are the lyrics... "A police car and a screaming siren Pneumatic drill and ripped-up concrete A baby wailing, a stray dog howling The screech of brakes and lamplight blinking A smash of glass and the rumble of boots An electric train and a ripped-up phone booth Paint-splattered walls and the cry of a tomcat Lights going out and a kick in the balls Days of speed and slow-time Mondays Pissing down with rain on a boring Wednesday Watching the news and not eating your tea A freezing cold flat with damp on the walls Waking up at 6 A.M. on a cool warm morning Opening the windows and breathing in petrol An amateur band rehearsing in a nearby yard Watching the telly and thinking 'bout your holidays Waking up from bad dreams and smoking cigarettes Cuddling a warm girl and smelling stale perfume A hot summer's day and sticky black tarmac Feeding ducks in the park and wishing you were far away Two lovers kissing amongst the scream of midnight Two lovers missing the tranquility of solitude Getting a cab and travelling on buses Reading the grafitti about slashed-seat affairs."
Love this album, Sound Affects!!!! Great song!!! My favorite on that album is Monday!! Aw that's OK Jay, we all have stuff we just don't like 😊 Punk (pop) sensibility. The Jam did not reach the popularity in the US they had in England where they were MASSIVELY popular. I was about 19 when this came out...enjoyed punky edgy type music, I did love this album.
I agree with others suggesting that now you must react to Paul Weller's band The Style Council, either to "My Ever Changing Moods" or "You're the Best Thing" ...both great!
Brilliant lyrics that captured the mood of working class people in the UK at the time. The end of the 70s and the beginning of the 80s when the Jam were at their peak was a turbulent time in the UK and the observations in their music form a great historical record and commentary on the times. The music is the vehicle for the delivery of the message in the lyrics. Sometimes you HAVE to listen to the words otherwise you miss the whole point.
My favourite song from my favourite group. To me, "That's Entertainment" is a song about life as it was at the time I was growing up in SW London in the 70s and 80s. Life itself is the entertainment of the lives we live.
So this song is an observation song written by Weller after walking home after a night out and penning this in 10 minutes about what he saw on the way home
"Two lovers kissing amongst the screams of midnight. Two lovers missing the tranquility of solitude. Getting in cabs and travelling on buses reading the graffiti about slashed seat affairs". Some of the best lines ever written in the history of popular music.
"That's Entertainment" by The Jam is a classic example of punk rock social commentary. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of working-class Britain, highlighting the monotony and hardship of daily life for many people. The song touches on themes such as unemployment, poverty, and the escapism offered by popular culture. It critiques the societal structures that perpetuate these issues while also celebrating the resilience and spirit of those who are affected by them. Overall, "That's Entertainment" serves as a powerful critique of British society in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and its message remains relevant today.
As fascism is rising once again, the good working people enjoy the newfound comforts of microwaved TV dinners and TOTP dancers instead of rioting whilst the soon to be out of work miners are about to strike. Terrible times innit. Absolute kick in the gut of a song, still. Fast-forward and swap some references and it's bang on again like we can't get enough of the fascist stuff.
One of the many things I love about watching Amber and Robs reactions is the fact that they both bring a different perspective to the songs , which in turn compliment each other perfectly.Never was it more clearer than in this reaction.Amber tends to focus on the meaning and lyrics of a song and with a band like the Jam is super important as their songs tend to carry a deeper meaning.Rob however leans more towards the music and you can especially see him picking up on the bass guitar riffs more and more as he learning to play this instrument. When the song doesn’t have as much of a music content as say ‘A town called malice ‘ or ‘ Going underground ‘ Rob isn’t as keen and this is were Amber comes in because she can see the song for what it is. which as viewers gives us the perfect reaction time and time again . I’ve loved watching them grow from the beginning to where they are now and as they continue to learn and grow in their love for music all over the world they take us along for the journey and we get to reminisce and learn with them to ❤❤
As a kid growing up in the UK during the seventies and eighties The Jam hold a dear place in my heart. They always had great writing and performance. You should also try watching The Teardrop Explodes. I reckon you'd get a blast from their song Reward.👍
You realise how great bands like The jam. Specials and madness are in the uk . When your at a party and the 50 plus Yr old men have no interest. Then there songs come on and all sing and dance
A police car and a screaming siren Pneumatic drill and ripped-up concrete A baby wailing, a stray dog howling The screech of brakes and lamplight blinking That's entertainment That's entertainment [Verse 2] A smash of glass and the rumble of boots An electric train and a ripped-up phone booth Paint-splattered walls and the cry of a tomcat Lights going out and a kick in the balls I say that's entertainment That's entertainment La la la la la, ah La la la la la, ah [Verse 3] Days of speed and slow-time Mondays Pissing down with rain on a boring Wednesday Watching the news and not eating your tea A freezing cold flat with damp on the walls I say that's entertainment That's entertainment La la la la la La la la la la [Verse 4] Waking up at 6 A.M. on a cool warm morning Opening the windows and breathing in petrol An amateur band rehearsing in a nearby yard Watching the telly and thinking 'bout your holidays That's entertainment That's entertainment La la la la la, ah La la la la la, ah La la la la la, ah La la la la la [Verse 5] Waking up from bad dreams and smoking cigarettes Cuddling a warm girl and smelling stale perfume A hot summer's day and sticky black tarmac Feeding ducks in the park and wishing you were far away That's entertainment That's entertainment [Verse 6] Two lovers kissing amongst the scream of midnight Two lovers missing the tranquility of solitude Getting a cab and travelling on buses Reading the grafitti about slashed-seat affairs I say that's entertainment That's entertainment La la la la la, ah La la la la la, ah La la la la la, ah La la la la la La la la la la, ah La la la la la, ah La la la la la, ah La la la la la La la la la la, ah La la la la la, ah La la la la la, ah
FYI we are on holiday to the WA coast and my wife of 40 years is singing along to her favorite Jam tune and so happy that another generation of educators has fallen into the music of our long ago youth (we are soon to be 68 and 66). She was in special ed, I was in university food service. Our oldest is also in education
If you were to think of The Jam as the NWA of suburban England you would not be far wrong. Every hit they had were protest songs, as I think Amber recognised, not just angry and sarcastic, but a call to arms Which does still make the transition to the laidback jazz blues of The Style Council era for Weller a surprising one, though perhaps still an unconventional choice, though I think Foxton wrote all these high octane songs so without him things went in a very different direction
I think it’s difficult sometimes for you guys to contextualise some songs, especially some of our British artists (like the Jam / Specials / General Punk) who write through a sociopolitical lens. Amber though always seems to find some way to grasp the lyrics though, while Rob likes to relate to the groove of a song. Luckily, we are always here to give you some context to the material you listen to 😊
The music is fun but the meaning is biting social commentary. Still holding out for Down in a Tube Station at Midnight. It's a song about fascist violence. The Housemartins is another band with happy melodies and a left wing pov. Songs like Flag Day, Happy Hour, & Sheep Then there is the Smiths whose leader is coming from the right.
This bands syle is combination of Punk and New Wave. Throw in the British sarcasm and you have a genre that is an acquired taste. I haven’t acquired it yet although I am a big fan of British humor so I loved the lyrics but not the song. Different strokes for different folks. That is what makes music great it’s diversity.
British working class life, i remember most of this from my younger days, before we had youtube to show us how some of your poorer people lived in the states, this lifestyle described here was all we knew and thought it was normal - doesn't mean we loved it, but never had much choice very often, other than to go out at night and hope we got back home safely without being the victim of the popular 'kick in the balls' as violence was (and still is) common in every larger town and city as part of a night out involving alcohol
Amber is really good at dissecting lyrics in a song. I had a hard time understanding because of the accents. Rolling Stone Mag has this song as # 306 in its top songs of all time 🤔.
Chills! I remember where I was when I heard this song. Paul Weller’s later band The Style Council was more slick sort of blue-eyed soul but still great. Shout To The Top and You’re The Best Thing That Ever Happened are good starts.
The song for the disaffected youth in the UK. The anger over the economic depression. Trying to live on bugger all money, making do with what you've got.
You never lived through those times.
AMBER NAILED IT TOTALLY British sarcasm, something that makes the Brits who they are
And the violence, don't forget the fights at outside pubs, at gigs; media-inflamed tribal wars; the NF trying to ruin it for everyone; and the brutality of the police. If you were around then, everything Paul Weller wrote makes perfect sense. And you could dance to it. I nearly got my head kicked in the first time I saw the Jam live, and I could say that about half a dozen gigs I went to.
@@PedroConejo1939yeah the early year's were a bit hairy walking to Brixton tube in winkle pickers, pin stripe boating blazer and stove pipes, never any trouble though except for the old bill. (I think they wanted any excuse)
Certainly had a few run in's with the skins in Peckham.
Ahh glory days. Poverty n pints 🍻 n punch ons
Not far off what it’s like today! Especially with Social Media and the current divide between the monied and not 😢 keep up the great reactions
Get sarcasm & the lyrics fall perfectly into place.
6:31 Amber's spot on observations surprise me every time. I don't know why, it's just rare that someone is willing to go under the hood of an admittedly esoteric song and dissect it as succinctly as she does. 👍
Spot on!
Amber is far more open than Rob.
Amber is definitely tuned it to stuff. She probably only got a few lines clear in her head, but she sussed it out based on the sarcastic chorus
That expression on his face was him in school.
she is a phony pedophilias rape supporter who uses your loneliness to make money - wake up you big dummies!
Song is about mundane/depressing life for lower class folks. “That’s Entertainment “ is sarcasm.
A police car and a screaming siren
A pneumatic drill and ripped up concrete
A baby wailing and stray dog howling
The screech of brakes and lamp light blinking
That's entertainment, that's entertainment
Written in 10 minutes and ranked #306 in Rolling Stone's top 500 songs of all time. These were Paul Weller's observations one day in London. Worth another listen.
Ah the heady days before disposable income.
At a time when unemployment was high and a lot of people's lives were depressing
@@sarahseery6288 Note that you can edit comments on RUclips
@@sloth_energy done, thanks
That's Entertainment...
A police car and a screaming siren
A pneumatic drill and ripped up concrete
A baby wailing and stray dog howling
The screech of brakes and lamp light blinking
That's entertainment, that's entertainment
A smash of glass and the rumble of boots
An electric train and a ripped up phone booth
Paint splattered walls and the cry of a tomcat
Lights going out and a kick in the balls
I tell ya that's entertainment, that's entertainment
Days of speed and slow time Monday's
Pissing down with rain on a boring Wednesday
Watching the news and not eating your tea
A freezing cold flat and damp on the walls
I say that's entertainment, that's entertainment
Waking up at six AM on a cool warm morning
Opening the windows and breathing in petrol
An amateur band rehearsing in a nearby yard
Watching the tele and thinking about your holidays
That's entertainment, that's entertainment
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
Waking up from bad dreams and smoking cigarettes
Cuddling a warm girl and smelling stale perfume
A hot summer's day and sticky black tarmac
Feeding ducks in the park and wishing you were far away
That's entertainment, that's entertainment
Two lovers kissing amongst the scream of midnight
Two lovers missing the tranquility of solitude
Getting a cab and travelling on buses
Reading the graffiti about slashed seat affairs
I tell ya that's entertainment, that's entertainment
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
poetry....beautiful
I re-watched because of your lyrics. Thanks.
The slashed seats being the ones in the cinema,no doubt.
Guess what, decades of the same old, same old and that's the case for far too many people, and plenty others have it even worse than that!
Love The Jam. So Many good Songs.
Going Underground
Eton Rifles.
The Bitterest Pil
Thick As Thieves
Beat Surrender...so many more.
I love the line from this song : " two lovers missing the tranquility of solitude"
Indeed. And “reading the graffiti of our slashed seats affair” . My go to Jam song is The Bitterest Pill.
The Jam were all about social commentary , this is about working class life in England. Twenty years later Pulp brought out "Common People" which highlights the same satirical theme.
Pulp's "Different Class" is such a perfect album!!! I hope they get around to reacting to more stuff like that.
AMBER TOTALLY NAILED IT. This is a brilliant song about things that happen... things that he observes... rather than things he WISH would happen. Paul Weller is a poet.
A beautiful song you might love: "MAN IN THE CORNER SHOP" which can bring me to tears with it's simple hopeful message. Cheers!
Soundtrack to life for an adolescent in late 1970’s Britain.
High unemployment ,strikes,poor life prospects .
At the same time appreciating the small pleasures - a walk in the park,cuddling a war m girl …….pure poetry
Try Saturdays Kids. Another accurate account of poverty in the 1970's UK
The whole “Sound Affects” album is just bang on! Social commentary from a certain time in Britain baby!!
Amber got it.
I grew up in London in the 70s and 80s. We had to make our own entertainment. There were only a couple of TV channels, no phones or computers. Life could be tough. What entertained you was the mundane things going on around you.
Me too.. Brixton SW2
Spent 3 months there in '86, near King's Cross...still punk though fading...
The Brits have a wonderful way of making very aggressive lyrics into beautifully melodic songs!
Paul Weller is a freaking genius! Known as the Modfather. The Jam were New Wave and sang gritty lyrics about the state of the country. He was asked in an interview recently why he didn't sing any protest songs anymore and he said, What would be the point, they'd all be about the same things! True dat.
Weller wrote it “in 10 minutes” after coming home from the pub a bit drunk. The song is about the sadness that clings to the everyday aspects of an ordinary life.
I was going to write exactly this. Yes written after a night out possibly in Woking???
I've always loved the guitar melody of this song entirely apart from the awesome, observational commentary. Reminds me of The Smiths where dark and despairing lyrics are laid over bright Jangle Pop. The contrast is both jarring and engaging.
Great song. Very well written.
The Jam were BIG!
Releasing 18 consecutive top 40 singles in the UK, from their debut in 1977 to their break-up in 1982, including four #1 hits.
They’re known for their melodic songs & Mod image. Just like The Who in 1964. 😮
They had a cult following in the US; the first band I saw in a bar underage were mods who did a lot of Jam songs
To get this song you need to understand the British class system. This is about being seen as the lowest of the low by those that rule us. The newspapers that print stories to give us ‘entertainment’ are run by people who want us to hate each other & love our monarchy.
Sounds a lot like USA, we have the same situation.
Absolutely. Applies to the working poor in the US then and now, as well. He's using sarcasm in describing the drudgery and monotonous nature of the lower end of the socio economic scale in which he (they) grew up ; almost finding a sardonic humor in it. Paul Weller was and is a true poet
Isn't just about the class system though, if you remember at the time there was a revolution in the UK stock market, where stocks and shares dealers had moved on from the monied elite and old school tie brigade, to the sons and daughters of Clued Up Barrow Boys, Market Sellers from Covent Garden, Billingsgate and Smithfields Markets, who made the pound God, they were all from Working Class backgrounds but soon forgot that.
Nothing has changed since then. For the better at least.
Reply of the week!
The lead singer, Paul Weller, goes on to create the blue-eyed soul The Style Council you guys will love: “Long Hot Summer,” “You’re the Best Thing,” “Ever Changing Moods” and “Shout to the Top!”
I’m pretty sure ‘blue eyed soul’ was from the 60’s. However, during his Style Council days Weller was known as both ‘The Cappuccino Kid’ and ‘The Modfather’…the later of which he’s still known as. The Style Council also leaned a little more towards Jazz than Soul too.
"Walls Come Tumbling Down" is still a total anthem for me.
‘Speak like a child’ is my fave of Style Council.
….. and ‘reach out for happiness’ !
Correction ‘HEAD START for happiness’
Another British band to check out would be Xtc - Generals and Majors, Making Plans for Nigel, Dear God, Ballad of Peter Pumpkin Head, Senses Working Overtime, Mayor of Simpleton, King For A Day.
Greatest band since the fab four.
Definitely. XTC is great
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
... and that jusr scratches the surface. A few others: Sgt. Rock (I Going To Help Me); Respectable Street; pretty much anyrging from Oranges & Lemons...
@@keithosmond5730That cd was my introduction to them. Do you think the Dukes of Stratosphere would be too much for them?
Paul weller the lead singer wrote this at age 18 in 16 minutes when you think about it like that it's a masterpiece.
He was 24 when they broke up; he thought 25 was "too old" (I wish I had that problem now)
He wasn't quite 18...21/22...but doesn't take away from the fact that it's a great song
He's written a number of masterpieces. He's up there with McCartney in the pantheon of musicial gods.
I think you are thinking of In the City or This is the Modern World or something.
For The Jam fans out there. The demo for That's Entertainment is on the Snap! compilation album, and if anything, is possibly more powerful than the released version.
It’s a British trait to wrap up the most cutting brutal and mundane situations lyrically with melodic music. It goes back for the longest time
The Jam is so quintessentially English. You should check Style Council as well. Recommendation: Paul Weller (lead singer of The Jam and later, Style Council) as a solo artist with his song “You Do Something to Me”. Paul Weller is a genius and, Jay, I think you will really enjoy this song.
Amber's right, Jay...this one's more about the lyrics. It's just the singer commenting on everything he's seeing around him ... lots of working class sarcastic references. Plus, Paul Weller is pretty open about the fact he wrote this when he'd had a few too many lol. I've seen people suggest this to you before but you should check out Weller's next band; The Style Council. I think you'll be surprised. Try 'You're The Best Thing' and 'Walls Come Tumbling Down.'
Yes please! I am anxiously waiting for them to react to either one of those 2 songs. Amber would love the sax in You're The Best Thing.
A great tune about urban decay in the UK , in the 70s and 80s , you must try The Specials " Concrete Jungle " and The Enemy " We live and die in these Towns " 2 song in a similar vein but decades apart !
Cheers Mike from the UK 🇬🇧 👍 🍺 😊
I second The Enemy, so under-rated
This may be a bit of a culture shock for young Americans unfamiliar with the Britain of the 1980s . . . thanks for posting!
I was so surprised that J didn’t like it! I guess because I grew up on new wave and alternative, but this is one of my favorite songs ever
Culture shock is a good thing for every generation.
The Jam is very very British. It’s a serious social commentary. You have to hear the Eton Riffles next.
And anything off All Mod Cons.
Fly
Yes good one. For me it's Down In A Tube Station At Midnight
@@MikePhillips-pl6ov I absolutely love Down In The Tube Station At Midnight, but it's a difficult theme for me - "They smelt of pubs And Wormwood Scrubs, and too many right wing meetings." They were tough times for some of us.
If you didn't notice when you reacted to "Sowing the Seeds of Love", it includes the line: "Kick out the style, bring back the jam". Bring back the Jam!!!
I like both 😊
Some things needs to be left alone....bands like The Clash and The Jam are classic examples of leaving something special alone.
They remind me of The Smiths and XTC. It's older UK alternative rock. "80s. Influenced BritPop to come later (late '80s, '90s, '00s).
"Kick in the balls" Brit humor!
It's a sarcastic song about what's entertainment, and what's not. Kudos to Amber!
Jay what he is doing is Deriding Kicking in the Balls, he doesn't advocate it he is really just dissing the ugly parts of English Culture back then in this Song and getting kicked in the Balls was indeed a part of English Culture back then and still is for that matter...
Also, the phrase "kicked in the balls" is used in the UK metaphorically to denote being let down or betrayed in some way
@@AllysonRogers2729exactly this
Nope.
Oh Jay…… I’m starting to wonder if you are emotionally mature enough to review all the wonderful and different types of music out there! Keep it up Amber, you’re doing great.
Some of the lyrics around the late 70s and early 80s might seem strange to American listeners I guess but that was the language of the times in a messy Britain at the time
Thatcher's Britain
Jay wouldn’t have felt this song as much as a Brit. It’s about life living in an urban environment surrounded by a mass of things you encounter, living in a damp flat because that’s what you can afford, opening the windows on a hot summers day hearing police sirens, the cry of a tomcat, howling dog, baby crying. Travelling on a bus, vandalised by knife slashed seats, reading graffiti about love affairs (the heart symbol), walking past paint splattered graffiti walls, the smell of stale perfume, feeding ducks at the park. For many these are the elements that surround your life on a daily basis, things that make you feel alive in this environment but also dreaming about your holidays, to escape, for many, the poverty of this urban life. That’s Entertainment.
Amber, you are rapidly becoming one of the best review voices upon songs and their meanings who is out there in the entire entertainment world. You have an unerring ability to pinpoint a song’s lyrical meaning and I’m here for it! As ever, with this song, a great piece of UK sociopolitical poetry, you have nailed the meaning and bought straight into it. What a journey the two of you have taken these past few years - and what a channel!
This is an example of the commentary/criticism of the UK's political/social state during the 80s - with a heavy dose of sarcasm. If you weren't exposed to the context of the times, you could expected to miss the message. The Jam (Paul Weller) morphed into the Style Council and put out lighter classic tunes... "Long Hot Summer", "You're the Best Thing", My Ever Changing Mood", ""Shout to the Top", "Walls Come Tumbling Down"... prolific with quality.
I was a poor white teenaged Canadian girl of the late 80's and I understood this song perfectly. I often don't grasp why people don't listen to lyrics. I mean LISTEN. This song is about Wellers experience, but I believe anyone whose lived in a certain lower class economic system has this song in their bones. I love your comment. The Jam were so British but again, somehow universal.
One of the greatest songs of all time. No debate.
That's debatable
Not really.
I agree,imposs.🍻
You had to be in the right place and at the right time, the UK and 1980s and this is an open book of life in the UK.
It is defo one of the best songs ever written because it's simple and correct
I was in the right place at the right time. Not a fan of the Jam or this song. Hence, not one of the best songs ever written.
So glad you came back to The Jam! Awesome band and Weller is a legend. "Beat Surrender" and "Start" (which has an iconic bassline and riff) would be my next recommendations, but my all-time favorite of theirs is probably "The Bitterest Pill". I also recommend checking out his later band, The Style Council. Which had a bit of a more melodic, soulful, and jazzy flair to them. For Style Council I'd recommend "Solid Bond" or "My Ever Changing Moods" for starters, but they had a ton others. Weller even went on to have a really good solo career.
J/A, The singer Paul Weller was in The Style Council which had hits with "My Ever Changing Moods" and "You're the Best Thing" !!
Yes! Also "Shout to the Top" - I'm sure they'd love that too ❣
Piano version of "My Ever Changing Moods".
Nostalgia for 1980 London❤🎸🎶Yes cheap entertainment when you got no Pretty Green🎉
Haha! Good one!
Amber has such a beautiful mind to go with her beautiful face.🙂
Rumour has it that Paul Weller came up with this in one session when staggering home from the pub. And after having had a few, followed by a kebab, that can be where you're in a mindset to reflect on the mundane nature of life- the rain, the police out on patrol (good luck seeing that these days), the ripped-up phone box, the sticky black tarmac.....this all typifies that in the grim landscape of 70's Britain, for many, this was as good as life got. Another cheery Jam one to take a look at if you haven't already is "Down in the Tube Station (subway) At Midnight"
Sticky black tarmac.. loved that lyric delivery. This is the song I always used to sing in my head as a teenager when I walked home from a friends house after a late night out. Lots of fun had but also bored of everything around me 😏😀
The lyrics are pure poetry. Open your mind. It's about everyday life for the working classes. Only one of the most popular Jam tunes ever.
I don’t think anyone’s mind is J open. Welles’s vials and lyrics are a little hard to decipher for unaccustomed ears
… meant ‘Anyone’s mind is in-opened’
‘un-opened’. F@CK not being able to edit message on an ipad
@@drg3712😂😂😂
@@drg3712 That's entertainment . . .
Sang this very loud back when I was roofing houses in the mid-80's, just to get through it. That's entertainment.
Amber you're so good - well done.
England was in hard times for a LOT of people... so imagine just smelling petrol outside yer window is as close to 'entertainment' as you're ever going to experience. It was a political cry against the way the government was running the country.... sorta... ish.
"That's Entertainment" was also the name of a series of movies that came out after 1974 showcasing MGM's collection of movies. So the song was sorta Weller saying this is what HIS world is like, not so rosy.
The everyday things you notice in life. Especially when you have nothing better to do.
A classic Jam song....depicting and observing the everyday ordinariness all around.
I love The Jam. When they broke up, the lead singer Paul Weller formed another band called The Style Council. Totally different vibe than The Jam. The Style Council was jazzier and poppier.
one of the greatest social commentaries everput to music!
"Pissing down with rain, on a boring wednesday"!....says it all about life in the UK...😫😫
Mike Scott and the Waterboys- Fisherman’s Blues
Great song, great band, lots of other great songs by "the Modfather" over the decades, whether with The Jam (Private Hell, Butterfly Collectors, Start, Precious, etc. - a wide range), Style Council, or his long and successful solo career. The Jam were very exciting in concert when I was lucky enough to be there, and enjoyed Paul Weller in concert with his band just a few years ago.
And sounds like you got the point in this one, Amber. In this song Paul Weller is singing about a fairly random combination of mundane observations and experiences for people who are not part of the privileged class in London and the UK generally at the time. However, he describes some of these poetically and others matter-of-factly, making the contrasts intriguing. And then, ironically tagging them with "that's entertainment" and a catchy acoustic guitar figure.
He performed a live version on TV in a two-guitar duet with Noel Gallagher (formerly) of Oasis.
ruclips.net/video/H4b48Jx7Un0/видео.html
"I was lucky enough to be there" I never got to see them; closest they got to New Orleans was Austin Texas (and that'a a loooong drive)
My favorite band of the early ‘80s. They never really broke through in the US. They’re very British, like the Kinks.
Yes Amber your spot on girl sometimes it's just about the story telling, love The Jam but also you should check out Paul Weller in The Style Council and also as a solo artis ❤️😊🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Amber nailed it! It's all about the lyrics and those pertain to observations and what someone would find entertaining in the every day normalcy of life, things that are subtle and others that aren't.
Here are the lyrics...
"A police car and a screaming siren
Pneumatic drill and ripped-up concrete
A baby wailing, a stray dog howling
The screech of brakes and lamplight blinking
A smash of glass and the rumble of boots
An electric train and a ripped-up phone booth
Paint-splattered walls and the cry of a tomcat
Lights going out and a kick in the balls
Days of speed and slow-time Mondays
Pissing down with rain on a boring Wednesday
Watching the news and not eating your tea
A freezing cold flat with damp on the walls
Waking up at 6 A.M. on a cool warm morning
Opening the windows and breathing in petrol
An amateur band rehearsing in a nearby yard
Watching the telly and thinking 'bout your holidays
Waking up from bad dreams and smoking cigarettes
Cuddling a warm girl and smelling stale perfume
A hot summer's day and sticky black tarmac
Feeding ducks in the park and wishing you were far away
Two lovers kissing amongst the scream of midnight
Two lovers missing the tranquility of solitude
Getting a cab and travelling on buses
Reading the grafitti about slashed-seat affairs."
Now we're talking....awesome request.
A snapshot of working class life in Britain in the 80,s jam where almost god like to a lot of young people,you had to live it ! Just brilliant😊
Love this album, Sound Affects!!!! Great song!!! My favorite on that album is Monday!! Aw that's OK Jay, we all have stuff we just don't like 😊 Punk (pop) sensibility. The Jam did not reach the popularity in the US they had in England where they were MASSIVELY popular. I was about 19 when this came out...enjoyed punky edgy type music, I did love this album.
I agree with others suggesting that now you must react to Paul Weller's band The Style Council, either to "My Ever Changing Moods" or "You're the Best Thing" ...both great!
Pure British Sarcasm at its Best. . .
Brilliant lyrics that captured the mood of working class people in the UK at the time. The end of the 70s and the beginning of the 80s when the Jam were at their peak was a turbulent time in the UK and the observations in their music form a great historical record and commentary on the times. The music is the vehicle for the delivery of the message in the lyrics. Sometimes you HAVE to listen to the words otherwise you miss the whole point.
Maybe a little too hip for the room. This was the new "MOD" music a new take on a 60's style music.
Two of these guys became 'Style Council' which I loved in the '80's. So cool and stylish!!!!
My favourite song from my favourite group. To me, "That's Entertainment" is a song about life as it was at the time I was growing up in SW London in the 70s and 80s. Life itself is the entertainment of the lives we live.
Great reaction Amber 👍
Jay you’re on the naughty step sunshine 😂
One of the most underrated bands ever!
brilliant song - love The Jam
Paul Weller is a genius. Completely summing up life for the young working class in 1979 with a heavy streak of sarcasm . This is quality
Amber should have done this on her own. Her understanding is just so much better.
So this song is an observation song written by Weller after walking home after a night out and penning this in 10 minutes about what he saw on the way home
"Two lovers kissing amongst the screams of midnight. Two lovers missing the tranquility of solitude. Getting in cabs and travelling on buses reading the graffiti about slashed seat affairs". Some of the best lines ever written in the history of popular music.
"That's Entertainment" by The Jam is a classic example of punk rock social commentary. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of working-class Britain, highlighting the monotony and hardship of daily life for many people. The song touches on themes such as unemployment, poverty, and the escapism offered by popular culture. It critiques the societal structures that perpetuate these issues while also celebrating the resilience and spirit of those who are affected by them. Overall, "That's Entertainment" serves as a powerful critique of British society in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and its message remains relevant today.
Amber having to defend the Jam - now, That’s Entertainment!
"Two lovers kissing amongst the scream of midnight
Two lovers missing the tranquility of solitude"
Those lines always stood out to me as very clever.
london in the 80s.... practically an anthem for that time.
Singer/songwriter Paul Weller, the former leader of the Jam, writes a lot of songs about the rough times of British life.
As fascism is rising once again, the good working people enjoy the newfound comforts of microwaved TV dinners and TOTP dancers instead of rioting whilst the soon to be out of work miners are about to strike. Terrible times innit. Absolute kick in the gut of a song, still. Fast-forward and swap some references and it's bang on again like we can't get enough of the fascist stuff.
One of the many things I love about watching Amber and Robs reactions is the fact that they both bring a different perspective to the songs , which in turn compliment each other perfectly.Never was it more clearer than in this reaction.Amber tends to focus on the meaning and lyrics of a song and with a band like the Jam is super important as their songs tend to carry a deeper meaning.Rob however leans more towards the music and you can especially see him picking up on the bass guitar riffs more and more as he learning to play this instrument. When the song doesn’t have as much of a music content as say ‘A town called malice ‘ or ‘ Going underground ‘ Rob isn’t as keen and this is were Amber comes in because she can see the song for what it is. which as viewers gives us the perfect reaction time and time again . I’ve loved watching them grow from the beginning to where they are now and as they continue to learn and grow in their love for music all over the world they take us along for the journey and we get to reminisce and learn with them to ❤❤
Grew up working class in Christchurch New Zealand. A cold hard town. We totally related to this music.
Definitely my favourite YT reactors right now, hammering the British legends of music ❤❤❤
As a kid growing up in the UK during the seventies and eighties The Jam hold a dear place in my heart. They always had great writing and performance. You should also try watching The Teardrop Explodes. I reckon you'd get a blast from their song Reward.👍
You realise how great bands like The jam. Specials and madness are in the uk . When your at a party and the 50 plus Yr old men have no interest. Then there songs come on and all sing and dance
Tongue, firmly in cheek here. The Jam consistently wrote great songs that made you think. Don't just follow the masses; dare to be different!
Gotta do more of The Jam--like “Down in the Tube Station at Midnight”, “Butterfly Collector”, or “Thick as Thieves”
This and Eton Rifles have got to be The Jams best songs, but I can’t really think of a bad Jam song to be honest
A song about how bad the 1980's were, suggested by people who always say how good the 1980's were. 🙂
A police car and a screaming siren
Pneumatic drill and ripped-up concrete
A baby wailing, a stray dog howling
The screech of brakes and lamplight blinking
That's entertainment
That's entertainment
[Verse 2]
A smash of glass and the rumble of boots
An electric train and a ripped-up phone booth
Paint-splattered walls and the cry of a tomcat
Lights going out and a kick in the balls
I say that's entertainment
That's entertainment
La la la la la, ah
La la la la la, ah
[Verse 3]
Days of speed and slow-time Mondays
Pissing down with rain on a boring Wednesday
Watching the news and not eating your tea
A freezing cold flat with damp on the walls
I say that's entertainment
That's entertainment
La la la la la
La la la la la
[Verse 4]
Waking up at 6 A.M. on a cool warm morning
Opening the windows and breathing in petrol
An amateur band rehearsing in a nearby yard
Watching the telly and thinking 'bout your holidays
That's entertainment
That's entertainment
La la la la la, ah
La la la la la, ah
La la la la la, ah
La la la la la
[Verse 5]
Waking up from bad dreams and smoking cigarettes
Cuddling a warm girl and smelling stale perfume
A hot summer's day and sticky black tarmac
Feeding ducks in the park and wishing you were far away
That's entertainment
That's entertainment
[Verse 6]
Two lovers kissing amongst the scream of midnight
Two lovers missing the tranquility of solitude
Getting a cab and travelling on buses
Reading the grafitti about slashed-seat affairs
I say that's entertainment
That's entertainment
La la la la la, ah
La la la la la, ah
La la la la la, ah
La la la la la
La la la la la, ah
La la la la la, ah
La la la la la, ah
La la la la la
La la la la la, ah
La la la la la, ah
La la la la la, ah
The Jam is vastly underrated band.
The Mod Father.
FYI we are on holiday to the WA coast and my wife of 40 years is singing along to her favorite Jam tune and so happy that another generation of educators has fallen into the music of our long ago youth (we are soon to be 68 and 66). She was in special ed, I was in university food service. Our oldest is also in education
The WA coast is indeed a very special place. Enjoy. ✌️
Amber is on point ith her breakdown. You go girl!
I don't see that you've done any XTC yet. "Making Plans for Nigel" or "Mayor of Simpleton" are good starts.
If you were to think of The Jam as the NWA of suburban England you would not be far wrong. Every hit they had were protest songs, as I think Amber recognised, not just angry and sarcastic, but a call to arms
Which does still make the transition to the laidback jazz blues of The Style Council era for Weller a surprising one, though perhaps still an unconventional choice, though I think Foxton wrote all these high octane songs so without him things went in a very different direction
I think it’s difficult sometimes for you guys to contextualise some songs, especially some of our British artists (like the Jam / Specials / General Punk) who write through a sociopolitical lens. Amber though always seems to find some way to grasp the lyrics though, while Rob likes to relate to the groove of a song. Luckily, we are always here to give you some context to the material you listen to 😊
The music is fun but the meaning is biting social commentary. Still holding out for Down in a Tube Station at Midnight. It's a song about fascist violence. The Housemartins is another band with happy melodies and a left wing pov. Songs like Flag Day, Happy Hour, & Sheep Then there is the Smiths whose leader is coming from the right.
This bands syle is combination of Punk and New Wave. Throw in the British sarcasm and you have a genre that is an acquired taste. I haven’t acquired it yet although I am a big fan of British humor so I loved the lyrics but not the song. Different strokes for different folks. That is what makes music great it’s diversity.
My fave Jam jam! 🕺
But… Demo Version is much better!
British working class life, i remember most of this from my younger days, before we had youtube to show us how some of your poorer people lived in the states, this lifestyle described here was all we knew and thought it was normal - doesn't mean we loved it, but never had much choice very often, other than to go out at night and hope we got back home safely without being the victim of the popular 'kick in the balls' as violence was (and still is) common in every larger town and city as part of a night out involving alcohol
Amber is really good at dissecting lyrics in a song. I had a hard time understanding because of the accents. Rolling Stone Mag has this song as # 306 in its top songs of all time 🤔.
Chills! I remember where I was when I heard this song. Paul Weller’s later band The Style Council was more slick sort of blue-eyed soul but still great. Shout To The Top and You’re The Best Thing That Ever Happened are good starts.
Amber is the bonus Jay...I was with you before her joining....your reactions are entertaining and together you two are awesome!
Man Rob...this song is intense...lighten up