"Peaches" The Stranglers

A good buddy of mine has been recommending the movie "Sexy Beast" for the past six months and like the ten movies per day that are usually mentioned to me I got it on Netflix, ripped it and it sat on my hard drive probably never to be viewed. I don't know why though because this particular friend is spot on with his suggestions most of the time and is a well versed man of letters. I guess I was just busy, rarely do I set aside the two hours to lay down and watch something on the boob tube, for the most part it just seems like a waste of time regardless of the redeeming values of the film. The other day I was bored and figured I'd throw it on in the background while I gambled online and was pleasantly surprised.

I was surprised to say the least because the film is nothing like I pictured it to be, there is really very little in the movie that would lead one to entitle it as it was named. As good as the film is and even if British-violent-cursing-crime flicks aren't your speed it must be watched for the opening scene, in which this song "Peaches" is played.

The Stranglers originated in the UK punk scene of the mid to late 70's but I would be hesitant to classify them as the same type of punk as the Sex Pistols, lacking the pure nihilistic venom spit out by the boys from London. I remember listening (well if you can call it that) to the Stranglers in eighth grade in a neighborhood back yard with Vision shoes, Tony Hawk board, breaking bones on a half pipe waiting for the late summer swells to roll into the east coast. I never really grasped them after that period of my young life, I liked being part of the scene and what it represented more than I like the scene itself and went back to the Stones.

But I am glad I rediscovered them through this movie and its hysterical opening scene. The song is access able for a punk song in the fact that it isn't terribly hard nor difficult to make out the words. It (like the scene in the movie) is comprised of a man's internal thoughts in the sunshine and checking out the trim walking along the beach. It has a typical but catchy baseline, the word play is light and laughable consisting of a basic talking of the lyrics with the remainder of the band cutting in and out of the verse. A particularly notable verse which has drawn controversy:

Will you take a look over there?
Where?
There
Is she trying to get out of that clitares
Liberation for women
That's what I preach
Preacher man (shouted by all)
Walking on the beaches looking at the peaches.

The word clitares often being mistaken for clitoris, the former being a French bathing suit but of course it was meant to be mistaken as such.

All in all a fantastically fun song to get stuck in one's head and a fantastic opening to a great movie. Many times on these pages I begin to rant about what I am thinking about when listening to these songs but in this instance I can't think of a better visual than the opening of "Sexy Beast" to coincide with the music. Check both it and the song out sometime soon, it'll be worth the two hours.