Recorded 2002 Label Locked On Producer(s) Mike Skinner | Length 3:29 Writer(s) Mike Skinner | |
Genre Alternative hip hop, UK garage, reggae fusion | ||
"The Irony of It All" is a song by The Streets. It features a dialogue between two people, "law-abiding" alcohol-consuming yob Terry, who calls himself 'an upstanding citizen', and 'criminal' cannabis smoking Tim. The irony referred to in the title of the song is that the legal drug alcohol is associated with many deaths and violent behaviour, while illegal cannabis has "no recorded fatalities". Tim is depicted as watching BBC2 all night till his bedtime at 6 am, and using his engineering degree to make home-made bongs. The music also changes for the character's turns.
Video
The video is essentially the song, with Mike Skinner taking both roles. However, the video adds to the irony, as the pub is relatively organized and normal. Tim's house is bizarre, messy, and the pizza delivery man who comes is mindless and robotically moves, and is in nothing but underwear.
Skinner points out that marijuana users generally stick to themselves and cause no trouble. They are often educated people who are far from the "mindless drug addicts" they are portrayed as. According to Skinner, alcohol abusers, in contrast, cost nations greatly in terms of violence and healthcare.