stewblack Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 (edited) Just watching the Stranglers live in Battersea Park (gosh JJB was a great bassist wasn't he?) and it got mw wondering what the hell they meant by the line in Peaches, which seemed to be describing an anatomical impossibility. So I looked it up. Well blow me down. I have been living in ignorance ever since 1977. It turns out that the word is actually clitares. Which I now learn is a French bathing suit. edit: Allegedly Edited June 3, 2020 by stewblack 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 There was a radio version with different lyrics - interestingly changed to 'bikini'. I'm absolutely sure they weren't trying to be ambiguous or provocative at all with the original, though! 😄 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted June 3, 2020 Author Share Posted June 3, 2020 10 minutes ago, Bassassin said: I'm absolutely sure they weren't trying to be ambiguous or provocative Heaven forbid! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Blank Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 18 minutes ago, stewblack said: Heaven forbid! Love that song, it still sounds utterly shocking to me now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taunton-hobbit Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 I was programming juke boxes for a major leisure chain when that came out - most of our boxes were in lounge bars, so that was one record less that week.......... 😎 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 Totally awesome track, bringing the bass to the forefront rather than an in the background supporting role. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Blank Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 Let's 'ave it... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skybone Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 3 hours ago, stewblack said: (gosh JJB was a great bassist wasn't he?) He still is. Saw The Stranglers a few years ago, and he's still a darned fine player. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted June 3, 2020 Author Share Posted June 3, 2020 1 hour ago, Skybone said: He still is. Saw The Stranglers a few years ago, and he's still a darned fine player. Oh God yes, I wrote that like he had passed away or something 🤦🏼♂️ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacko Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 I was hoping to see them later this year. Not sure that'll happen now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 Given the sad passing of Dave Greenfield, as well as the current situation with C19 and venue issues I’d think it unlikely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NikNik Posted June 4, 2020 Share Posted June 4, 2020 16 hours ago, stewblack said: Just watching the Stranglers live in Battersea Park (gosh JJB was a great bassist wasn't he?) and it got mw wondering what the hell they meant by the line in Peaches, which seemed to be describing an anatomical impossibility. So I looked it up. Well blow me down. I have been living in ignorance ever since 1977. It turns out that the word is actually clitares. Which I now learn is a French bathing suit. edit: Allegedly Seriously?? Is that what word was?? Man alive, I can die happy now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris7273 Posted June 4, 2020 Share Posted June 4, 2020 French is my mother language and I have never heard the word Clitares. I have checked and It's not in the dictionnary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubit Posted June 4, 2020 Share Posted June 4, 2020 I thought he was saying clitoris and Im sticking with that. Let's face it Relax was banned when it came out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor J Posted June 4, 2020 Share Posted June 4, 2020 From genius... Practically every reference to this lyrical line elsewhere states that the word present is “clitares” which is supposed to be a French word for a bathing costume. However, there don’t appear to be any French dictionaries that actually feature such a word. Furthermore, every discussion of the word itself seems to be in reference to it as part of this song. Finally, even with the incorrect accent point, it still sounds a great deal more like the specific point of a woman’s anatomy than anything else. This would leave the sentence incomprehensible, but it would certainly fit the tenor of the song in its entirety. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted June 4, 2020 Share Posted June 4, 2020 You shouldn't take these things clitorally ... 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Blank Posted June 4, 2020 Share Posted June 4, 2020 Just now, Happy Jack said: You shouldn't take these things clitorally ... Give that man a friggin' medal. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Browning Posted June 4, 2020 Share Posted June 4, 2020 33 minutes ago, Frank Blank said: Give that man a friggin' medal. Oh, come now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stub Mandrel Posted June 4, 2020 Share Posted June 4, 2020 On 03/06/2020 at 14:50, taunton-hobbit said: I was programming juke boxes for a major leisure chain when that came out - most of our boxes were in lounge bars, so that was one record less that week.......... 😎 You could have substituted Bring on the Numbiles (Cocktail version). The story about Peaches is just mischief making by JJ or an urban myth, the story was around in the 1980s and was debunked then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted June 4, 2020 Share Posted June 4, 2020 Could someone please point me at the app which allows you to put silly drawn-on glasses on your photograph. I want to avoid it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Blank Posted June 4, 2020 Share Posted June 4, 2020 1 minute ago, Happy Jack said: Could someone please point me at the app which allows you to put silly drawn-on glasses on your photograph. I want to avoid it. Take back that mans medal. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricky 4000 Posted June 4, 2020 Share Posted June 4, 2020 It is one of the world's great mysteries... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacko Posted June 4, 2020 Share Posted June 4, 2020 3 hours ago, Frank Blank said: Give that man a friggin' medal. you can get a medal for THAT????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted June 4, 2020 Author Share Posted June 4, 2020 1 hour ago, jacko said: you can get a medal for THAT????? I should have the Jules Rimet trophy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulbuzz Posted June 4, 2020 Share Posted June 4, 2020 (edited) Pretty sure the 'bathing suit' story is nonsense; as others have pointed out, there seem to be no references to this supposed French word on the web, except in the context of this tale. Also, I recall long ago reading an interview with Hugh Cornwell where he was making his excuses for the weird pronunciation of the word in the song by saying that he just didn't know the correct pronunciation at the time. [ Edit: found it: it's in his book "The Stranglers Song By Song". ] Perhaps the line in the song was originally written as 'bikini', as in the radio-play version, which obviously makes much more sense, and the change to 'clitoris' was just typically Stranglers-style provocation? Fantastic song though, questionable sexual politics notwithstanding. Pretty much responsible for me playing bass. Edited June 4, 2020 by paulbuzz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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