Black Grape – Get Higher

Continuing the theme of over analysed lyricists, this week it’s Happy Mondays/Black Grape frontman Shaun Ryder. He’s not the messiah; he’s a very naughty boy.

Not that Ryder himself has ever claimed to be. His response to receiving the NME’s God-like Genius award was, “Not god like genius, knob like penis! I've met Phil Daniels, you know, king of mods, and he was good."

Black Grape’s second album, Stupid, Stupid, Stupid, was completed without the help of Ryder’s trusty sidekick Bez (who had acrimoniously split with the band the previous year). Inevitably, without Bez, Stupid did not match the success of their debut, It’s Great When You’re Straight…Yeah!, and the band broke up in 1998.

Get Higher was the first single and the opening track of Stupid. It sticks closely to the Grapes’ formula of good times, guitar riffs and the joys of self medication. But with the notable difference that most of the drug pushing is done by Ronald and Nancy Reagan.


Black Grape – Get Higher.

Buy Stupid Stupid Stupid.