Fitzpleasure

Album: An Awesome Wave (2012)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song was inspired by a chapter from Hubert Selby, Jr.'s 1964 controversial novel about the brutality of urban life, Last Exit to Brooklyn. Lyrical allusions include "Tralala," (the title character of a prostitute character in the book) and "broom-shaped pleasure," (the chapter ends with a particularly gruesome gang rape of Tralala involving a broom).
  • The song title does not feature in the lyrics. Speaking with Secret Sound Shop, frontman Joe Newman explained: "Basically the phrase is 'in your snatch fits pleasure, broom shaped pleasure,'" he said, "so fits and pleasure and Fitz like a second name, like Fitzpatrick so we thought Fitzpleasure, so more subtle."
  • Newman explained to Secret Sound Shop why he chose such a shocking subject matter for the song: "I always believe that you write about what moves you," he said, "and although that gang-rape scene is horrible... it really moved me, it's really well written, you don't really know which way is up after that chapter. I thought it was a really powerful thing to write about."
  • Another link between Last Exit to Brooklyn and rock music is that The Smiths titled their 1986 album, The Queen Is Dead, after a different chapter in the novel.
  • Mentioned both in this song ("Dead in the middle of the C-O-double M-O-N" ) and "Bloodflood," The Common is a park in Southampton, the South England city where Newman grew up.
  • The lyric, "Dead in the middle of the C-O-double M-O-N" was inspired by a line from Puerto-Rican/American rapper Big Punisher's 1998 track "Twinz," which goes: "Dead in the middle of Little Italy. Little did we know that we riddle some middlemen who didn't do diddle." Newman explained to NME: "There's a gang in Southampton called The Mandela Boys. We were scared s---less of them when we were kids. The (next) line, 'Little did I know then that the Mandela Boys soon become Mandela Men' is me wondering whether they're still in the gang or if they've just all got jobs and kids now."
  • The song has been used in several TV series, including Weeds, Suits and Homeland.
  • This was used by Miley Cyrus to soundtrack a video interlude featuring the scantily clad singer during her Bangerz tour. Alt-J drummer Thom Green commented to GQ: "Straightaway I thought 'Wow, that's weird, she's a huge celebrity! Then I thought it's not actually that weird. I knew she'd tweeted about us in the past and just because she's hugely famous it doesn't make it any different from anyone else liking it."

Comments: 2

  • Ross from BristolThank you Luke, that adds a really interesting layer of meaning to the song
  • Luke from SouthamptonContrary to previous comments, this song does indeed reference other works of fiction, but also tells the tale of a local piece of news and history. In the not too distant past the gang known as the Mandella Boys (From Mandella way) attacked and as a group sexually assaulted a girl on The Common (C-O double M-O-N). This was viewed as a rite of passage for the Mandella Boys, hence them becoming Mandella Men.

    They left her for dead, this is not reflected in any of the previous comments and I feel it important to mention this.

    Also the track name is reflective of the area in which the attack took place around the Fitzhugh pub (Polygon).
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Boz Scaggs

Boz ScaggsSongwriter Interviews

The "Lowdown" and "Lido Shuffle" singer makes a habit of playing with the best in the business.

Weird Al Yankovic

Weird Al YankovicFact or Fiction

Did Al play on a Beach Boys record? Did he have beef with George Lucas and Coolio? See if you can spot weird but true stories.

Richie McDonald of Lonestar

Richie McDonald of LonestarSongwriter Interviews

Richie talks about the impact of "Amazed," and how his 4-year-old son inspired another Lonestar hit.

Protest Songs

Protest SongsMusic Quiz

How well do you know your protest songs (including the one that went to #1)?

History Of Rock

History Of RockSong Writing

An interview with Dr. John Covach, music professor at the University of Rochester whose free online courses have become wildly popular.

Top American Idol Moments: Songs And Scandals

Top American Idol Moments: Songs And ScandalsSong Writing

Surprise exits, a catfight and some very memorable performances make our list of the most memorable Idol moments.