Format CD / enhanced CD Length 4:00 | Genre Folk, pop Label FDM Records | |
Released 6 June 2005
12 December 2005 Writer(s) Luke Concannon, John Parker | ||
"JCB" (or "JCB Song") is the second single from Nizlopi's first album Half These Songs Are About You. It peaked at No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart in December 2005.
Contents
Lyrics
The song is a reminiscence of childhood, based on singer Luke Concannon's memories; it is sung from the point of view of a young boy, travelling with his father on his JCB digger, listening to Christy Moore's song 'Don't Forget Your Shovel'. The song's website refers to Luke's dyslexia swamp, the resulting bullying and characters, such as B. A. Baracus, Bruce Lee and Transformers, who would protect him against the bullies. The bypass mentioned in the song is the A46 as the band lived in Leamington Spa at the time and the A46 is known locally as "The Bypass". The single was originally released in the United Kingdom in June 2005, when it entered the charts at No. 160.
Following its release, the song gradually achieved a cult following on the Internet and at film festivals, in part due to the award-winning animated video by Laith Bahrani of Monkeehub. Mainstream coverage and airplay followed, and by 19 November, national newspapers were writing about the song's rise, and possible destiny as Christmas number one.
Release
The song entered the UK Singles Chart at number one in the week before Christmas, but was pushed into second place in the Christmas charts by X Factor singer Shayne Ward. Both songs continued to hold their positions for the next four weeks.
The standard single features the new B-side "Clear". The enhanced CD has a second new track "Helen", plus the JCB video. The hit record was produced by Gavin Monaghan, also known for his work with Scott Matthews, Robert Plant, Editors, Ocean Colour Scene, The Twang and The Holloways. The song proved to be a one hit wonder for the band.