There Goes a Tenner
Encyclopedia
"There Goes a Tenner" is a song by the British singer Kate Bush
. It was released as a single on 2 November 1982, the third to be taken from her album The Dreaming
. It was released only in the UK
.
being made). Due to the lack of media interest, the single did not sell well and became the only record by Bush not to chart in the UK. It was originally intended to be Bush's first 12-inch single
, but plans to release a 12" were cancelled.
The song lyrics are about a (bungled) bank robbery as told by a fearful and paranoid perpetrator. As Bush stated;
commented that despite the comic tone of the song, the end left a rather unnerving effect. Bush sang it in what has been described as "a curious accent that seemed to veer from an aristocrat
to an East End
villain" (see mockney
).
The B-side, "Ne t'enfuis pas
" ("Don't Run Away") is spelt incorrectly on the actual single as "Ne T'en Fui Pas", which does not mean anything in French.
Kate Bush
Kate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
. It was released as a single on 2 November 1982, the third to be taken from her album The Dreaming
The Dreaming (album)
-Personnel:*Stewart Arnold: vocals, background vocals*Jimmy Bain: bass*Ian Bairnson: acoustic guitar, vocals, background vocals*John Barrett: assistant engineer*Brian Bath: electric guitar*Haydn Bendall: engineer...
. It was released only in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Background
"There Goes a Tenner" is often considered to be something of a "lost single", because when it was released it gained no interest from any radio stations or music television programmes (despite a music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
being made). Due to the lack of media interest, the single did not sell well and became the only record by Bush not to chart in the UK. It was originally intended to be Bush's first 12-inch single
12-inch single
The 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality...
, but plans to release a 12" were cancelled.
The song lyrics are about a (bungled) bank robbery as told by a fearful and paranoid perpetrator. As Bush stated;
Towards the end of the song, the lyrics and tone take on a dream-like state, which is reflected in the video. A review in Record Mirror
"It's about amateur robbers who have only done small things, and this is quite a big robbery that they've been planning for months, and when it actually starts happening, they start freaking out. They're really scared, and they're so aware of the fact that something could go wrong that they're paranoid and want to go home."
Record Mirror
Record Mirror was a British weekly pop music newspaper, founded by Isadore Green and featured, news articles, interviews, record charts, record reviews, concert reviews, letters from readers and photographs. The paper became respected by both mainstream pop music fans and serious record collectors...
commented that despite the comic tone of the song, the end left a rather unnerving effect. Bush sang it in what has been described as "a curious accent that seemed to veer from an aristocrat
Aristocracy
Aristocracy , is a form of government in which a few elite citizens rule. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning "rule of the best". In origin in Ancient Greece, it was conceived of as rule by the best qualified citizens, and contrasted with monarchy...
to an East End
East End of London
The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...
villain" (see mockney
Mockney
Mockney is an affected accent and form of speech in imitation of Cockney or working class London speech, or a person with such an accent...
).
The B-side, "Ne t'enfuis pas
Ne t'enfuis pas
"Ne t'enfuis pas" is a song written and recorded by Kate Bush. It was released in July 1983 in France and Canada. The song was previously issued as a B-side in the UK to the single "There Goes a Tenner"....
" ("Don't Run Away") is spelt incorrectly on the actual single as "Ne T'en Fui Pas", which does not mean anything in French.