The Fall -
"Hip Priest"

For Phespirit, "Hip Priest", culled from the godlike "Hex Enduction Hour" album (1982), is undoubtedly THE defining track by The Fall.

Not to everyone's taste this, by any means - indeed, at the track's conclusion on the live album "A Part Of America Therein, 1981", Mark E Smith can be heard to drawl: "that usually clears the halls".

Nonetheless, "Hip Priest" will have reached the unwitting masses through its inclusion in the film "Silence Of The Lambs" (playing in the background whilst Clarice Starling stalks Jame Gumb through his house before the lights go out).

Clearly an influential track, musicologists might care to play "Hip Priest" and Pavement's "Our Singer" (from their "Slanted And Enchanted" album) back-to-back and see if they can detect any similarities .....

Lyrics

He is not appreciated
He is not appreciated
He is not appreciated

Drink the long draught, Dan
For the Hip Priest

I said drink the long draught, Dan
For the Hip Priest

He is not appreciated
He is not appreciated

White collar hits motorway services
It's the Hip Priest
From the eyes he can see they know
It's the Hip Priest

He is not appreciated

It's purple psychology
And not just an old lady's

(It's the Hip Priest)

That's hip hip hip hip hit hit hit Hip Priest

That's hip hip hip hip hit hit hit Hip Priest

And he's gonna make an appearance
He's gonna make an appearance

I was shown in a freakshow early on
And drunk from small brown bottles since I was so long

'Cause I'm a Hip Priest
'Cause I'm a Hip Priest
People only need me when they're down and gone to seed
'Cause I'm a Hip Priest
'Cause I'm a Hip Priest

It's appreciation half won
And they hate their allegiance to hip preacher one
Hip Priest

I got my last clean dirty shirt out of the wardrobe
I got my last clean dirty shirt out of the wardrobe
And all the good people know

That's hip hip hip hip hit hit hit Hip Priest

All the young groups know
All the young groups know
They can imitate but I teach 'cause I'm a Hip Priest
I'm as clean as a pack of chocolate treats

That's hip hip hip hip hit hit hit Hip Priest

And if the good people knew they would say:
He is not appreciated
He's not appreciated

So drink the long draught, Dan
For the Hip Priest