Magazine - Song From Under The Floorboards

[GhostofSirJoh]

Darryl you bastard

[Deano191267]

This was the best music era ever

[andreaprodan]

JESU! SHIT!

THIS THIS THIS is a BAND!

Energy, focus, and beauty. Ugliness turns into perfect beauty!

Years after the first enthusiastic listenings... THIS is THE song!

[freshborn66]

what a fukin song? one of my faves, and timeless, love u magazine xx

[bonfunkjc]

dat bass

[gnowave]

@tonyvonkrefeld it says more about radio and TV deciding for us what they THINK we want to hear.

its a bit like when you wonder why a supermarket says they dont stock an item, you ask why not, they say no-one wants any, and you say that its not, its coz non-one knows there is any!

[llwyd2011]

This is when people wrote fucking songs man. biased and old as I sound..listen to it ! it's fucking brilliant. so fuck off . :P

[Rudimcd63]

Certain songs in life are timeless,those songs you feel not just hear :)

[thamtulungdanhconan]

people aint  know what they's missing

[mediattackrecords]

Great PUNK hit. Fashionable Post Punk.

[TheWickerMan1971]

@hubrisgoat No, it's not. It's based on 'Notes from Underground' by Dostoyevsky. The opening line "I am angry, I am ill and I'm ugly as sin" is now the unnamed narrator of 'Notes from Underground' describes himself. He also compares himself to an insect later in the novel. I've not heard 'Philadelphia' so I didn't know they had a second song based on Dostoyevsky's writing, thanks for telling me. Raskolnikov was the protagonist of 'Crime and Punishment', though.

[TheWickerMan1971]

@hubrisgoat No, it's not. It's based on 'Notes from Underground' by Dostoyevsky. The opening line "I am angry, I am ill and I'm ugly as sin" is now the unnamed narrator of 'Notes from Underground' describes himself. He also compares himself to an insect later in the novel. I've not heard 'Philadelphia' so I didn't know they had a second song based on Dostoyevsky's writing, thanks for telling me. Raskolnikov was the protagonist of 'Crime and Punishment', though.

[TheWickerMan1971]

If anyone knows of a better song based upon the works of Dostoyevsky, I'd like to hear it

[Hubrisgoat]

@TheWickerMan1971 I'd agree with you, except it's about Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka! You're thinking about Philadelphia, with the immortal line "I could have been Raskolnikov, but Mother Nature ripped me off.." x

[Hubrisgoat]

@Hubrisgoat although having said that, the title comes from Dostoyevsky... :)

[TheWickerMan1971]

@Hubrisgoat No, it's not. It's based on 'Notes from Underground' by Dostoyevsky. The first line "I am angry, I am ill and I'm as ugly sin" is how the unnamed narrator of 'Notes from Underground' describes himself. He also calls himself an insect later on in the book. I didn't know Magazine wrote a second song based on Dostoyevsky in 'Philadelphia', I've not heard it. Raskolnikov was the protagonist in 'Crime and Punishment'.

[romerlapina]

A classic one

[Isthmiades2]

Yes the individual who can see the hypocrisy but has to, by necessity, partake in this massive deception (hence the self loathing). The person who can see that most people obey the laws of society not because they are good but because they are too frightened to break those laws are already outsiders. And you’re right; Kafka’s Metamorphosis is a spot-on connection with this kind of thinking/philosophy. Knut Hamsun, Nietzsche, Herman Hesse, Albert Camus and many others. 

[lynnmark1]

Thanks for the explanation

I always thought the "I am an insect "indicated that the song was based around Kafka stories

I just love the self loathing

[Isthmiades2]

A true classic and a landmark song from the existentialist outsider view of life.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky's novel 'Notes from Underground' was called 'Notes from Under the Floorboards in the original Russian. The cover of the single was to have had the words 'to FD' on the cover but owing to an oversight by the printers it was omitted.

[Tregidio]

Superbe rendition :)

[hellraiser917]

This is and always will be a Classic!!

[MoniRokse]

Need to marry you **busizz4me.info**

[fallflies]

great song

[djh29971]

I think Magazine would of been better without Barry Adamson, his style of bass hasn't aged well atall. I know many fans will completely disagree, but the bass is SO lifeless in an era of truly great and distinctive bass players.

[marcol68]

@djh29971 I disagree completely...

[baldy1]

old howard classic trasck tricky dicky lochee

[NathansPhase2012]

I like some of Magazines stuff.. Just not this song. But thanks for posting it.

[Carvanian01]

One of the great intros of all time

[jackshitgeorge]

This is THE song

[progpunker]

Truly fantastic band. As a diehard Ultravox fan at that time, I never really appreciated the talent and beauty of Magazine.. 30 years later, it really is a breath of fresh air. Adamson, in my opinion, is one of the most talented rock bassists of all time. Formula definately delivers the goods on keys (at a time whem keyboard players of this "style" were not SUPPOSED to be good, lest they be consider too prog ), Simon, great on on guitar, as he was in Ultravox. And Devoto, well, enough said!!!

[TitchTV]

Blimey. Still mesmorised by last year. You see this band and you wonder has music evolved much since??????? Still so good........

[benandkasia]

Barry Adamson plays the bass 'reme - but jaysus - that weren't Formula doing a Jools was it?

[alrapids]

that was awesome, many thanks

[fillthy]

They were the most underrated band of all time!!!!

[johnnycheck99]

Were Magazine pretty big when they started ?

[ztormar]

@johnnycheck99 probably big before even borned:)

[jasan205]

Una pasada, recuerdo cuando oia estas canciones hace un monton de años y me emocionaban sus melodias teniendo 12 o 13 años. mil gracias

[johnnycheck99]

@jasan205 Esteban

[MrJaffaCakes]

It's not John McGeoch on guitar here, is it? Correct me if I'm wrong.

[drlaim]

No it's Robin Simon ex- Ultravox [The John Foxx version not the Midge Manure version]

[chrisnoaro1]

Midge and Foxx versions of Ultravox were great alike. No less than three members of this great band worked with Midge in Visage. Check out their first two albums "Visage" and "The Anvil" - superb, cold new romantic / electro

[Shellback41]

The organ/synth work is amazing here. What a song - unstuck in time!

[RNforBrokenHearts]

this is the outcome of the buzzcocks' break...this is howard devoto...

[RNforBrokenHearts]

yes this is howard

[KipperTiePlays]

the real shit

[bicicletasmulticolor]

:)Muy buenaaaaa

[coastal16]

Reminds me of Doc martins,black jeans, crew cuts and been young.

Oh happy days.

[Seb30able]

'Know whatcha mean mate. Happy days to you.

[indiebird12]

This is Genius. to make something different and original. this is there best song

[VernianProcess]

Fuck yes! This is probably my favorite Magazine song, it is just too good.

[afullhalfgramofacid]

awesome..had a snippet on a cassette tape, from long ago, but didn't know what it was. Thank God for the internet. By the way, what is a Vernian Process?

[VernianProcess]

A Vernian Process is a band from San Francisco Ca. We're kind of a mix of Post-Punk, Neo-Classical, Darkwave, Industrial, and Trip-Hop with a Victorian Fantasy/Sci-Fi aesthetic. You can watch some of our videos to get an idea of what we sound like.

[afullhalfgramofacid]

will check it out - thx

[abagail4me]

Everything about this song is brilliance.

[MRGarbhanSheridan]

This song is the ghost with the most.

[tommysonar]

you're right this is Robin Simon ex Ultravox guitarist.

[screenanme]

I saw them a few times in the 80's ...cool band!

[ACroft13]

Fantastic band, were always way ahead of their time, they deserved to have been huge, but sadly weren't, no justice in this world.

[badmev]

thats not john mcgeoch ffs

[TheEmpress666]

Am I right in thinking that I'm the only 15-year old girl listening to this?

Such an awesome song :3

[roryrandomlyrocks]

Or you might just be 50.

[pooshkamalchick]

Helpful input, cretin.

[roryrandomlyrocks]

Cheers.

[lak678]

hey cool. im 15 aswell. i went to see them at hmv picturehouse in edinburgh. im a boy. lol XD

[TheEmpress666]

I went to see them at the Royal Festival Hall :)

[AsparagusSpears]

Well, I'm a 16 year old girl listening to this hahaha. And I went to see them in Glasgow. Brilliant show, bumped into Barry Adamson in the hotel lift the next day, but I was too intimidated to say anything hahaha.

[skeletonkey6]

Is this John Mcgeoch on guitar or not?

[hawkeyepierce12]

skeletonkey6 ~

yes, it looks like him anyway. i think this is just before souxie pinched him.

[howlwoh]

Devoto at his best. Love the early Buzzcocks, like Magazine. Period synths are just tits and the bass lick is better than crack pie or sex.

[heraldojesus21]

yes another fine track from Magazine

[Shoisia]

For some reason this makes me think of Joy Division.

[heraldojesus21]

......that would be because Martin Hannett produced the LP this track is on ..... as well as both of Joy Division's albums !

all in about 1979 - 80 in Manchester

[spassy13]

absolutly brilliant stuff

[joethepigg]

Pills and alcohol and failure.

[auntypizza]

Shit stunning band. Massively pounding brilliance. Love the bass. This is what happens when you get chemistry. This is my favourite band (besides the early Cure stuff, and a couple of other bands - not many).

[strangeparty]

fucking fabulous

[ChispaFilthyLucre]

yeah! great great and great

thank you

[mrfrankhill]

Thanks to morrissey for introducing to me to this great song.

[greedymuppet]

This is one of my favorite songs of theirs. Not only beautifully composed, but the lyrics are spot on. That last bit, "and then I just got tired," couldn't have been sung an a better fashion. The character really comes through so perfectly. I heard Morrissey's version of this and was pleasantly surprised, but I can't say I'm a big Morrissey fan otherwise (though I haven't heard much else).

[1000superT]

Devoto and Morrissey = apples and oranges

[fucktheutubeusername]

very good

[1963ajp]

Devoto/100 > Morrissey

[fucktheutubeusername]

haha

[gymbunny123]

I saw Magazine when I was about 17. Loved them then, love them now all these years later.....

[pancake1979]

Great song.

[joro0710]

these guys are still as good

saw them in feb

manchester

fantastic

[iwishiwastaller7]

Anyone know the bass tab, or where I can find it? Its driving me mad haha

[rexswindoll]

i recently learned the bass line pretty much exactly. i was thinking about posting up a video of me playing it. let me know if you want to see this.

[iwishiwastaller7]

Yer, that would be great if you could. Thanks :)

[kevfullo]

just watch this vid while getting the root notes, you can see quite alot of the bass to give you a cracking idea oftherest of it, at 2.30, 3.40 , and 4.03 you can see right where the higher bits are..rex get it posted ;-)

[hughbartlett1]

what a fantastic song!!! love it!!

[Jupiture00]

Timeless!!!

[kirkwallboy]

I am angry I am ill and I'm as ugly as sin. My irritability keeps me alive kicking. Possibly, probably, the best opening to a song ever. A brilliant thing with so many original music things kind of swirling around.

[DoogManStar]

As Devoto confesses, the line is virtually stolen from the opening lines of Dostoevsky's "Notes From Underground", the book the song is named after. If you have the original vinyl single, it has '4FD' on the run-off groove. 'For Fyodor Dostoevsky'.

[afullhalfgramofacid]

I may be getting my Brits mixed up, but I thought there was a Howard Devoto in The Buzzcocks (who, I think, toured with them, even years after their peak). Same guy? Is that the singer of this song?

[DoogManStar]

Yup same guy - he left Buzzcocks because he thought punk was burning out and wanted to do something else.

[rexswindoll]

man barry adamson is an amazing bass player

[TitchTV]

@rexswindoll Yeah not bad for a chap given a bass and then frantically practising all night before his audition!! Used a bed post to ampilfy the sound because he didn't have an amp to practice with. He's come up with some amazing bass lines and music over the years.

[Hubrisgoat]

@rexswindoll and John McGeoch is a truly incredible guitarist, maybe the most underrated ever..

[Hubrisgoat]

@Hubrisgoat although having said that, apparently it's not John playing here! Well if it's not John, they're replicating his playing perfectly... aggghhh

[RochelleMG]

My favorite Magazine song. I didn't even know they were still playing. I wish they'd come to NY. I just bought the Magazine Peels Sessions CD at a street fair yesterday.

[blome63]

I feel like being under the floorboards at the moment.

[techanic]

Magazine was a tragically underappreciated band, killed off by the drooling moron rock crit press, who never could handle change.

This music is still vital, while much of the stuff they bleated about is forgotten or best so.

[stmasey]

This is my favorite song of all time.

[hackum1]

legendary

[Dittoner]

Saw them in Manchester on the 14th,class night.You can't beat the school.

[hendy1965]

saw them live at kentish town and they were astonishing. As an old pink I was always going to love it, but they came across as so professional, like they'd been playing live for 30 years without a break - brilliant musicians but still with that fire... fantastic! And is there a song with better lyrics than song from under the floorboards? i know the meaning of life, it doesn't help me a bit...

[kennywah10]

Saw them last night in Glasgow. They sounded as good as ever and their legacy continues to influence the sounds of today.

[sham64andahalf]

No mate just the Forum on the Friday. Alot of 40ish people and younger and a few older. Its not just about Howard,its the whole band and I can assure you they hold more impact than you think. Come back tomorrow and tell me what you thought. I bet you are impressed and glad you went.

[sham64andahalf]

Keep it nice eh folks : - ) I saw Magazine on Friday and they were the dogs gonads.

and indiebird ........remember Mr Howard Devoto was once a Buzzcock (a PUNK band : - )

[SendInTheChickens]

What the fuck are you talking about?

[SendInTheChickens]

You're a vast over simplification

[indiebird12]

Punk rock was invented to get rid of overindulging bands like pink floyd, and post punk was invented to get rid of the same boring punk riffs. haha

[lepopnoir]

Just got tickets for Manchester in february, I'm very excited!

[zweiosterei]

'But the brightest jewel inside of me

Glows with pleasure at my own stupidity'

Amazing

[Warwick6147]

Yep Mindtpi... I went to that gig. Great night. Them and XTC together.

[glastonburysong]

The The AND Radiohead...the game's up!

Listen to "rainy season" genius can't be hidden

not even under the floorboards...

[rollagasper]

I am jealous of all of you in the UK who will get to see Magazine in the new year.

[TheFatOwl]

I might be getting old, but this still sounds as good as it did the first time I heard it - can't say that about too many records

[2napoleon6]

Saw him live at the Lowry in Manchester recently. It was fucking amazing, he's the coolest cat I've ever seen!

[abagail4me]

What a fucking great band they were.Still have my vinyl copy of "Real life" from when I was a 3rd gen punk 20 years ago."Floorboards" still rattles my skull until this day

[danash196]

neva thought these would re form, wonder if theres a new n comin out?

[vokshumana]

My favorite keyboard player.

[lcalmale]

one of my top songs of all times

yes that good

[kdehead]

man - that bassline is FUCKING addictive... what a track..

great lyrics too.. and damn similar to Radiohead.

hard to believe that this song came out in 1980 originally!

[blondie1159]

He looks just like Thom Yorke, Radioihead owe a lot to Magazine, and have shared the same producer.

[Rainhands22]

My philosophy lecturer gave me a cd with this song on it. The CD was entitled 'existential music'. Great song anyway.

[Rachellynn1992]

Sounds about right

[rollagasper]

The song is inspired by Dostoevsky's "Notes from Underground." Dostoevsky is one of the forefathers of existentialism.

[2napoleon6]

First line: I am angry, I am Ill and I am Ugly as sin is roughly what the first lines translate to from Russian :D

(My sister studies Russian at Uni and is a massive fan!)

[mancman21562]

kin...Ace.....

[1doctoma]

I know the meaning of life and it doesn't help me a bit.....C'mon Howard, MORE

[blondie1159]

please record the show and put it up on here , Manchester or London shows 09. thnx x

[Ballard4PM]

Fucking Brilliant.

[TripleX808]

LEGENDS!!!

John R.I.P.

NEVER did I think I would see Magazine live.

I AM!!! February 2009, Manchester. I HAVE A TICKET!!!!! Come on!!!

[HowardWCampbell]

(Jealousy)

[2napoleon6]

Same!!!!! See you there!!!!!!!!

[vokshumana]

When I was 20 this song meant ``urban`` to me - and still means.

[darraghniamh]

my mate Paul Cartwright from Corby was a soitting image of Devoto in 1983, and probably still is. Great song, great memories

[blondie1159]

Thom Yorke looks like him too

[mankchester9]

back in 09 not without mcgeoch and doyle,i think.

[hydraphone]

Brilliant..thanks.xxx

[foff4strings]

Does anyone have any live footage of a track from 'The Correct Use Of Soap' called Philadelphia? I bought the LP (yes, vinyl!) when I heard it being played in the Brighton Virgin records shop when it was a little pokey place half way down the hill from the station. The line 'In Philadelphia I'm sure that I felt healthier' always made me smile.

[eeelectricboogaloo]

so that's where jarvis got about half of his moves, eh?

[siarung]

robin simon on guitar,john mac defected to the banshees(sob)

[tromasteve]

One of the best opening lines of any song and one of the best songs derived from a literature source.

Also, you have to admit, Morrissey has taste when it comes to choosing his cover versions.

[Fiddlersgreen42]

Howard Devoto in this video looks exactly like Thom Yorke in the Karma Police video

[Fiddlersgreen42]

or christopher eccleston in doctor who

[dsbrck]

Thom Yorke wish he could hold a candle to Howard Devoto

[montes12]

he is not john mcgeoch

[RickHenry]

Awesome video!

[dauthendey2000]

Wow, what an excellent quality clip! Thanks!

[porterhall27]

great lyrics, I saw this lot in 1980 they were great, a truly underated band

[jangenk]

is that john mcgeoch on guitars?

[spaceword]

This is funky Richard Thompson//brilliant

[EUROPHOBIC]

Classic brilliant song from a classic Manc band- I loved them years ago, especially "shot by both sides" and I'm Scouse

"and then I just got tired"-defo going to play this at my funeral to piss people off!

[mankchester9]

It,s a great day when you happen on a song from your past specialy when your a manc,there version here is as good as any other live and im,e glad it was listed.More people in this world need to be enlightened by manchester musicians like magazine,keep rockin M9.

[miguelpaleta]

Great song and dead cool - always brings back memories of my cousins' party in 1981

[metyyra]

Maganificent.

I found live version of "Feed The Enemy" but cannot find it anymore. Could someone out there share it and/or send link to it. Please :)

[bennyh8]

Whats going on with the guitarists 3rd finger (not including the thumb). Jesus. Triple jointed!!!!!