One of the band’s most well known singles, as well as an anthem for the Madchester movement of the late 1980s and early 1990s, Kinky Afro sees Shaun Ryder tackle the theme of dysfunctional families through the dialogue of an estranged, deadbeat father and his untrusting son.
[Intro]
You go spooky in a band
[Verse 1]
Son, I'm thirty
I only went with your mother 'cause she's dirty
And I don't have a decent bone in me
What you get is just what you see yeah
I see it so, I take it freely
And all the bad piss ugly things I feed me
I never help or give to the needy
Come on and see me
[Chorus]
Yippee-ippee-ey-ey-ay-yey-yey
I had to crucify some brother today
And I don't dig what you gotta say
So come on and say it
Come on and tell me twice
[Verse 2]
I said dad you're a shabby
You run around and groove like a baggy
You're only here just out of habit
All that's mine you might as well have it
You take ten feet back and then stab it
Spray it on and tag it
So sack on me
I can't stand the needy
Get around here if you're asking you're feeling
[Chorus]
Yippee-ippee-ey-ey-ay-yey-yey
I had to crucify somebody today
And I don't dig what you gotta say
So come on and say it
Come on and tell me twice
[Verse 3]
So sack all the needy
I can't stand to leave it
You come around here and you put both your feet in
[Chorus]
Yippee-ippee-ey-ey-ay-yey-yey
I had to crucify somebody today
And I don't dig what you gotta say
So go on and say it
Yippee-ippee-ey-ey-ay-yey-yey
I had to crucify some brother today
And I don't hear what you gotta say
So come on and say it
Come on and tell me twice
Kinky Afro was written by Shaun Ryder & Paul Ryder & Mark Day & Paul Davis (Happy Mondays) & Gary Whelan.
Kinky Afro was produced by Steve Osborne & Paul Oakenfold.
Happy Mondays released Kinky Afro on Mon Oct 08 1990.
“Kinky Afro” was our biggest hit in the US, but people still go crazy wherever we play it. It started off with us just jamming. We’d moved into this massive rehearsal space, and our kid [singer Shaun Ryder] turned up with a big fridge full of beer. We got stuck in. I’d been listening to Hot Chocolat...