"Respectable Street" is a song by Andy Partridge. It appeared on the 1980 album Black Sea.
Because of suggestive lyrics it was banned from the BBC, so the band re-wrote and re-recorded the track as a clean single. BBC never played the clean version anyway. Regardless, Andy has stated that he prefers the clean version's mix, and that version appeared in place of the album version on the fan-run XTC MySpace page's "Song of the Week." The single version would reappear on Rag and Bone Buffet.
Lyrics[]
Album Version[]
It's in the order of their hedgerows
it's in the way their curtains open and close
it's in the look they give you down their nose
all part of decency's jigsaw I suppose
Heard the neighbour slam his car door
don't he realise this is respectable street
What d'you think he bought that car for
'cos he realise this is respectable street
Now they talk about abortion
in cosmopolitan proportions to their daughters
as they speak of contraception
And immaculate receptions on their portable
Sony entertainment centres
Heard the neighbour slam his car door
don't he realise this is respectable street
What d'you think he bought that car for
'cos he realise this is respectable street
Now she speaks about diseases
and which sex position pleases best her old man
Avon lady fills the creases
when she manages to squeeze in past the caravans
that never move from their front gardens
Heard the neighbour slam his car door
don't he realise this is respectable street
What d'you think he bought that car for
'cos he realise this is respectable street
It's in the order of their hedgerows
it's in the way their curtains open and close
it's in the look they give you down their nose
all part of decency's jigsaw I suppose
Sunday church and they look fetching
Saturday night saw him retching over our fence
bang the wall for me to turn down
I can see them with their stern frown as they dispense
the kind of look that says they're perfect
Heard the neighbour slam his car door
don't he realise this is respectable street
What d'you think he bought that car for
'cos he realise this is respectable street
He realise this is respectable street
He realise this is respectable street
He realise this is respectable street
Clean/Single Version[]
Heard the neighbour slam his car door
don't he realise this is respectable street
What d'you think he bought that car for
'cos he realise this is respectable street
Now they talk about absorption
in cosmopolitan proportions to their daughters
as they speak of child prevention
And immaculate receptions on their portable
Sony entertainment centres
Heard the neighbour slam his car door
don't he realise this is respectable street
What d'you think he bought that car for
'cos he realise this is respectable street
Now she speak about diseases
and which proposition pleases best her old man
Avon lady fills the creases
when she manages to squeeze in past the caravans
that never move from their front gardens
Heard the neighbour slam his car door
don't he realise this is respectable street
What d'you think he bought that car for
'cos he realise this is respectable street
It's in the order of their hedgerows
it's in the way their curtains open and close
it's in the look they give you down their nose
all part of decency's jigsaw I suppose
Sunday church and they look fetching
Saturday night saw him stretching over our fence
Bang the wall for me to turn down
I can see them with their stern frown as they dispense
The kind of look that says they're perfect
Heard the neighbour slam his car door
don't he realise this is respectable street
What d'you think he bought that car for
'cos he realise this is respectable street
He realise this is respectable street
He realise this is respectable street
He realise this is respectable street