When I was 10, I remember renting a music video of children singing the popular hits of the day. Mini-Pops, which originated in England, enjoyed some success in Canada in the early '80s. I remember this one strange-sounding English song about an older man who would shout out a borderline curse word every time he got upset. What was stranger is that I couldn't make out most of the words in the chorus!
I also had not heard the original rendition on the radio in Canada. Apparently it never charted on this side of the pond.
This week, my 30+ year mystery was solved. Through the magic of YouTube, I was able to locate the Mini-Pops special in all its garish glory. While scrolling through the comments, a poster responded to a person's inquiry about this weird song. Turns out it is called "Gertcha."
I immediately looked up what gertcha means. It is a Cockney English expression for "Go away! Get out of here!" I always found Cockney slang bizarre, and this one is no exception!
'Cowson' is another Cockney word said in the song. The only definition I was able to find for that one is, "Term of mild to medium abuse for a person or a situation."
"Gertcha" was a hit in the UK for Chas & Dave in 1979. They specialize in Cockney-influenced rock, or 'rockney.' They managed to have some significant success, especially in the late '70s to early '80s.
Here is the song as performed by Chas & Dave.
I can understand why "Gertcha" did not catch on in North America. The words appeal mostly to a localized audience, and people like me who were not raised in a Cockney household wouldn't understand or appreciate the material. In other words, the alternative jargon does not transfer well outside of London, where the Cockney dialect is commonly used in certain areas of the city.
Solving the mystery of this obscure song made me happy. I'm glad I revisited that clip, even though watching kids appear as adults and singing songs written for an adult audience can give one the creeps. Watching Mini-Pops today might even prompt some viewers to say... gertcha!
I also had not heard the original rendition on the radio in Canada. Apparently it never charted on this side of the pond.
This week, my 30+ year mystery was solved. Through the magic of YouTube, I was able to locate the Mini-Pops special in all its garish glory. While scrolling through the comments, a poster responded to a person's inquiry about this weird song. Turns out it is called "Gertcha."
I immediately looked up what gertcha means. It is a Cockney English expression for "Go away! Get out of here!" I always found Cockney slang bizarre, and this one is no exception!
'Cowson' is another Cockney word said in the song. The only definition I was able to find for that one is, "Term of mild to medium abuse for a person or a situation."
"Gertcha" was a hit in the UK for Chas & Dave in 1979. They specialize in Cockney-influenced rock, or 'rockney.' They managed to have some significant success, especially in the late '70s to early '80s.
Here is the song as performed by Chas & Dave.
I can understand why "Gertcha" did not catch on in North America. The words appeal mostly to a localized audience, and people like me who were not raised in a Cockney household wouldn't understand or appreciate the material. In other words, the alternative jargon does not transfer well outside of London, where the Cockney dialect is commonly used in certain areas of the city.
Solving the mystery of this obscure song made me happy. I'm glad I revisited that clip, even though watching kids appear as adults and singing songs written for an adult audience can give one the creeps. Watching Mini-Pops today might even prompt some viewers to say... gertcha!
No comments:
Post a Comment