Saturday, August 8, 2026

Pulling Mussels (From the Shell) - Squeeze

Pulling Mussels (From the Shell) - Squeeze
3:58
Argybargy, 1980
Written by Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook

With a one-note guitar solo followed by an intricate piano solo, this catchy, bright number isn't the typical pop song.  But then, Squeeze isn't the typical pop band.  The lyrics limn a vivid picture of typical British beach scenes: topless ladies, surfers, people reading books on the sand; meanwhile the narrator apparently is giving his girlfriend a standing manual orgasm: "But behind the chalet, my holiday's complete / And I feel like William Tell / Maid Marian on her tiptoed feet / Pulling mussels from a shell."  His aim is accurate, he's pulling her up towards him, the mussel a Georgia O'Keefe representation.  It's an extraordinarily graphic idea to hide inside such a cheerful, radio-friendly pop song, made even funnier by the song's breezy, almost innocent delivery. More evidence that most people doesn't listen to lyrics.

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Pulling Mussels (From the Shell) - Squeeze

Pulling Mussels (From the Shell) - Squeeze 3:58 Argybargy , 1980 Written by  Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook With a one-note guitar solo f...