Senses Working Overtime
XTC
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Hey, hey, the clouds are away There's straw for the donkeys And the innocents can all sleep safely All sleep safely My, my, sun is pie There's fodder for the cannons And the guilty ones can all sleep safely All sleep safely And all the world is football-shaped It's just for me to kick in space And I can see, hear, smell, touch, taste And I've got one, two, three, four, five Senses working overtime Trying to take this all in I've got one, two, three, four, five Senses working overtime Trying to taste the difference 'tween a lemon and a lime Pain and pleasure and the church bells softly chime Hey hey, night fights day There's food for the thinkers And the innocents can all live slowly All live slowly My, my, the sky will cry Jewels for the thirsty And the guilty one's can all die slowly All die slowly And all the world is biscuit-shaped It's just for me to feed my face And I can see, hear, smell, touch, taste And I've got one, two, three, four, five Senses working overtime Trying to take this all in I've got one, two, three, four, five Senses working overtime Trying to taste the difference 'tween a lemon and a lime Pain and pleasure and the church bells softly chime And birds might fall from black skies And bullies might give you black eyes But to me it's very, very beautiful (England's glory!) Beautiful (A striking beauty!) And all the world is football-shaped It's just for me to kick in space And I can see, hear, smell, touch, taste And I've got one, two, three, four, five Senses working overtime Trying to take this all in I've got one, two, three, four, five Senses working overtime Trying to tell the difference 'tween the goods and grime Turds and treasure and there's one, two, three, four, five Senses working overtime Trying to take this all in I've got one, two, three, four, five Senses working overtime Trying to taste the difference 'tween a lemon and a lime Pain and pleasure and the church bells softly chime
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15 facts about this song
Band Origin"XTC" is a rock band that originated from Swindon, England. "Senses Working Overtime" is one of their best-known songs.
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Release DateThe song "Senses Working Overtime" was released as a single on January 11, 1982.
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Album DetailThe track is part of the "English Settlement" album, which is the band's fifth studio album.
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Song CreditsAndy Partridge, the lead singer and songwriter of the band, wrote the track "Senses Working Overtime."
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Chart PerformanceThe single reached No. 10 on the UK Singles Chart, marking the band's first entry into the top 10 in the UK.
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Lyrics SignificanceThe song is often remembered for its distinctive refrain, "1, 2, 3, 4, 5 - Senses working overtime," referring to the five human senses.
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Partridge's IdeaAndy Partridge thought of the idea for the song while he was out walking around Paris; he started counting things he saw and turning those counts into rhythms.
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Song InspirationThe song is inspired by British folk music and is considered emblematic of the band's shift from punchy power pop to a pastoral, acoustic sound.
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Music VideoThe peculiar video for the song, featuring the band playing in the middle of a spinning set, was directed by Russell Mulcahy who also made videos for bands like Duran Duran.
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Record LabelThe song was released under the record label Virgin Records.
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LegacyIn 2016, "Senses Working Overtime" was featured in a commercial for the Google Photos service. It has also been covered by other artists, demonstrating its lasting influence.
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Live PerformancesInterestingly, following a performance in 1982, the band stopped touring due to Partridge's stage fright and exhaustion. The band instead focused on studio work.
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Song LengthThe single version of the song was about 4 minutes and 34 seconds long, while the album version was close to 5 minutes.
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Commercial SuccessIn addition to its UK success, the song also made it to No. 12 on the Australian Kent Music Report singles chart.
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Critic ReviewsCritics often regard "Senses Working Overtime" as a highlight of XTC's discography for its unique blend of pop melodies and folk instrumentation.
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Citation
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"Senses Working Overtime Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 25 May 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/2203092/XTC/Senses+Working+Overtime>.
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