The Wildhearts

Arguably the fans' favourite Wildhearts song (derived from Hüsker Dü's song "59 Times the Pain"), is about the uplifting effect music has on a fan and is an homage to Ginger's influences, namechecking The Replacements, Hüsker Dü, Beatles, Rolling Stones, Ramones, Sex Pistols, Starz, Big Black, the Queen album Sheer Heart Attack, Cheap Trick, The Clash album London Calling, Jason & the Scorchers, Stiff Little Fingers, Blue Öyster Cult, Kiss, Heart, The Damned, Twisted Sister and Kurt Cobain. The song was re-recorded in 1996 with the line about Kurt Cobain replaced with a reference to Richey James Edwards. The relevance of the number "29" has caused a great deal of speculation- the most likely explanations being that Ginger was 29 when he wrote it and that when the Wildhearts songs are listed in order of their release and track listing, the song is indeed the 29th Wildhearts song.


"Twisted Sister"? I don't think the line about "twisted curls" is pertaining to Dee Snider, or is it?

And the Richey James line came BEFORE the Kurt Cobain version was released, right?

Its still early here and I want to make sure I'm not dreaming.

everlone wrote:And the Richey James line came BEFORE the Kurt Cobain version was released, right?

Its still early here and I want to make sure I'm not dreaming.

Nope. The "Kurt" version was released as a b-side to the suckerpunch single 2 years before they re-recorded it for the japanese Fishing for luckies album. Still think the original blows the ´96 version out of the water....

everlone wrote:"Twisted Sister"? I don't think the line about "twisted curls" is pertaining to Dee Snider, or is it?

There are a fair few mistakes in the lyric sheets where all the 'official' lyrics came from, so I wouldn't take that as gospel.

I just had a good listen and is he not actually singing: "twists and curls" rather than "twisted curls"?

Makes it a lot easier to dispute the Twisted Sister link when the line is gone from the second version replaced with: "'cos for all you boys and girls", which suggests to me that it wasn't an important band mention.

I prefer the original, but I think it could have been edged further into greatness by the inclusion of the 'boys and girls' line and the harmonies on 'brave new world'.

Yeah, I was still half asleep.

I still think the Twisted Sister assumption is hilarious.

I always thought it said "twisted girls", referring to Twisted Sister(?)

I always heard Twisted Girls, but didn't want to read a band reference into it (similar to the Brave New World line)...

Didn't Ginger answer this once and say it wasn't a reference to the band? Like Ean says, considering he changed the line in the re-record it probably isn't.

I am 99% sure that it is not a reference to Twisted Sister or any other band.